


Lay Down This Armor

by xxDustNight88



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Bottom Tony Stark, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Top Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2018-10-24 03:56:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10733628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxDustNight88/pseuds/xxDustNight88
Summary: In the fallout of their Civil War, Tony and Steve realize there might be more to the turmoil between them. Taken prisoner after failing to infiltrate a Hydra initiative, Steve is rescued by Tony, only to become his prisoner instead. Can they muddle through their hurt and betrayal to lay down their armor for the sake of defeating Hydra?





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> So this was just supposed to be a quick one-shot to be added to my When the Dust Settles Collection…well the plunny ran away from me and now it’s going to be a mini, multi-chapter fic! As it turns out, the song this is inspired after also inspired two other fics one from starrnobella (a Captain Swan fic entitled, When it Comes to You) and one from Squarepeg72 (a Harry/Pansy poem entitled, Now I Lay Me Down). It’s amazing how a song can inspire people in a variety of ways. I definitely recommend reading both of them! So this…it’s my first full-fledged Marvel fic, so please be kind. Feedback is appreciated! xxDustNight
> 
> Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to Marvel. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. The cover photo is made from pictures I found on Google. The story title comes from the song, “Armor” by Landon Austin. I do not write for profit. Also, thank you to Freya Ishtar for help with the summary and starrnobella for beta-reading!

Regret can eat you alive, weighing so heavy on your heart and mind that it’s all encompassing. That’s why he’d sent the letter to Tony before rescuing his comrades from the Raft. He’d had so much to say to the man who wore armor on and off the battlefield. It took a lot for him to admit his wrongdoings and give Tony a chance to stop him, but he hadn’t. Steve found no interference from Tony during his breech, leaving him free to save his rogue friends and go into hiding for the time being.

But he didn’t want to be hiding; he wanted to be on the frontline like always, helping keep the world safe from whatever miscreants threatened to take over. It felt like a betrayal to the people who’d come to respect him as Captain America. However, Tony— _Iron Man_ —had made him into the enemy, one who was feared and regarded as a threat. As if that wasn’t the furthest thing from the truth? He wasn’t the enemy, never had been and never would be. He just wanted to do what was right, and protecting Bucky from Tony, that was the right thing to do at the time, even if it meant breaking the fragile friendship he’d had with Tony.

Sitting in his room in T’Challa’s secret fortress, Steve ran a hand over his weary face as he thought about the letter he knew Tony read by now. It was an apology, an offering of sorts, but so far Tony hadn’t taken the bait. The cell phone hadn’t been used, the one number he’d programmed into it not dialed. Flopping backwards to sprawl on his bed, Steve blew the air out his of lips in a huff as guilt rocked him to the core. He didn’t have many friends aside from the Avengers, and he always regarded Tony as one of his closest, despite the animosity that always lingered just below the surface.

It was like they were two sides of the same coin; Steve was the practical, justice loving hero who thought with his brain, whereas Tony was the free spirit who followed his heart rather than taking the time to think things through. It was maddening, but at the same time, Steve loved how well they fit together when he thought about it. They fought well together, but now they were just fighting _against_ each other. Keeping secrets from Tony was a mistake. He knew that now, but he had no way of knowing if Tony truly accepted his apology. He’d poured his heart into that letter, meaning every single word.

So many things were left unsaid, though, the feelings he wanted to convey not quite making it onto the page. Oh but how they raged on inside of him, filling his chest with a tightness that he couldn’t alleviate. The look in Tony’s eyes right before he plunged his once honorable shield into the heart of Iron Man haunted his dreams more than he cared to admit. Tony had seriously thought he was going to kill him, and that was the worst of it all. Captain America was not a killer, but for one brief second, someone had thought it was possible. He had to repair that fissure somehow, but he couldn’t while currently ostracized by the world and almost everyone else he knew.

Unfortunately, he was stuck in hiding for now—waiting for the opportunity to prove he was not the enemy that he was starting to believe himself to be. Eyes shut, Steve thought about all of this as he tried to drift into a light sleep. He was nearly there, the hope of a dreamless respite on the edge of his grasp, when the cellphone beeped from where it sat on the nightstand. Shooting upward, no longer tired, Steve wrapped his hand around the device. With his heart pounding, he unfurled his fingers one at a time, until he was able to see the name on the front.

His hope dissolved entirely as the _wrong_ familiar name lit up the screen. It was merely his host, not the old friend he so desperately wanted to hear from. Nevertheless, he accepted the call and tried not to let his disappointment leak into his voice. “Cap, here.”

“Captain Rogers, I believe there is a situation that requires your attention. Hydra appears to have taken siege over a building formerly belonging to Howard Stark. It is rumored there are possibly nuclear weapons hidden underneath the building from the late fifties.”

“I’m listening,” Steve replied, already rising from the bed and heading towards his dresser for combat clothing. He used his shoulder to hold the phone in place while he opened the top drawer and rifled through it. It didn’t take long as he had hardly anything left to his name at this point.

“As it stands now, the Avengers have not taken notice, but I think you could infiltrate and deal with the matter without drawing attention,” T’Challa explained, his voice a low rumble over the line. “There appear to only be a handful of Hydra operatives in the vicinity.”

“Perfect,” he responded, slamming the drawer shut. “Send me the coordinates. I can be out of here in less than ten.”

“Very well,” T’Challa murmured, the sound of clicking echoing through the connection as he worked. “I will have to remain behind so I do not blow my cover with the American government, but I will notify Lang in case you require back-up. You will need only send him the emergency code if you run into trouble.”

“Thank you. I appreciate this, and I’ll make sure to keep in contact.”

“It is no trouble, Captain. Please, keep me updated.”

“You’ve got it,” he replied, already formulating tactics in the back of his mind.

As the line went dead, Steve tossed the phone onto the bed before he quickly suited up in his new uniform. The black and grey suited him, and would keep him from being easily noticed. He wasn’t working _for_ America like he’d done before, so there was no need for the garish red, white, and blue of the past. Once dressed, he reached under the bed and extracted the new shield T’Challa had fashioned for him. The silver star surrounded by rings of black and grey was a throwback to his old shield, but he was no longer Captain America. He was simply Captain Rogers and now he was off to do what he did best—protect the world from Hydra scum.

His last thought as he hurried from the room was that it was kind of ironic he’d be heading right into a building previously owned by the father of the one man in the entire world he wished to see right now. Idly, he wondered if Tony would know about the Hydra infiltration, his AI system probably keeping him informed of every little detail. Tony may be bound by the Sokovia Accords, but Steve knew for a fact that he would always do what benefited him most first. Rules be damned.

Maybe that’s why Steve was so drawn towards the man. Despite their differences, they were still eerily similar. Scoffing at his train of thought, Steve pushed his feelings aside, ready to focus on the mission and only the mission. Hydra was going down this time, he would make certain of that.

 


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn’t planned on updating this just yet, but when I saw all the love it was getting, I decided to get to it! Thank you for that, by the way. This is my first time writing a strictly Marvel story, so I’m definitely out of my comfort zone. Here is a lovely little chapter from Tony’s POV. Feedback is appreciated! xxDustNight

It was raining; the Avenger’s facility was dark and dreary this late at night. The extensive lighting didn't even seem to break through the melancholy of the place. Downing the last of his Scotch, Tony placed the glass tumbler in the kitchen sink and then decided to retire for the night. It was no longer fun and exciting being here with so few members of the Avengers remaining. Or rather, so few of the Avengers wanting to even be around him for an extended period of time.

Clicking off the lights as he walked through the quiet living quarters, Tony tried not to think about Rhodey with his broken back, or Vision with his broken heart. He tried not to think of Nat and Clint on the run, or even of T'Challa, who he was certain to be playing both sides. Fuck, he didn't even want to think about all the others, hiding out who knew where since the breach at the Raft. Really, he didn't want to think about anything at all because every time he started to think about what happened with Steve and all his other friends, his heart broke a little bit more.

It was like his Arc Reactor had never been fixed in the first place, the gaping hole never sealed properly. The regret he felt from the betrayal of one of his best friends was more than he could bear. So, as Tony walked through the facility, ignoring the quiet sounds from Vision’s room, he decided to just let it all go for the evening, wanting nothing more than to just pass out into a dreamless sleep.

His room was dark when he arrived, and he didn't bother to ask Friday to turn on the lights, not even to a slight dim. Falling face-first onto the larger than average bed, he tried not to think about everything that had gone wrong. Every time he thought about that dreadful day, it was like ripping a new wound in his heart. And besides, Tony Stark wasn't supposed to have a heart as it was. It didn't matter that Pepper insisted he had one, because after everything that had happened, he knew that was a lie.

With a heavy sigh, Tony decided to just close his eyes and try and fall asleep for the night. He would, no doubt, be woken up numerous times by nightmares of Afghanistan or portals to another world, but what he feared most were the nightmares where Steve struck him in the heart with his infamous Captain America shield. That was the dream that haunted him day in and day out no matter where he fell asleep, whether it be in the lab, on the couch, or here in his tiny bedroom at the facility.

It was the regret that kept him from sleeping properly, continuing to bombard him with these night terrors. He regretted a lot of things in his life, but pitting his friends against one another was probably the biggest one of all. How can you live with yourself knowing that you tore an entire team of friends, colleagues, and associates apart because you just wanted to make one woman hurt a little bit less than you? Maybe it was the right thing to do, getting everyone to sign the Sokovia Accords, but if he had known what he did now; Tony would have told the government they could shove their paperwork right up their asses with to sit alongside the sticks they already had there.

Pushing all these horrible thoughts aside, Tony was just starting to drift off into some sort of sleep when Friday’s voice broke through his daze. “Sir, I thought you might like to know that one of your father's facilities has been breached.”

“Friday. Can't it wait until morning? I was almost asleep.”

“I apologize, sir. I wouldn't have interrupted your rest if it wasn't important.”

Groaning, Tony rolled onto his back with a flop, using the butt of his wrists to rub at his wary eyes. “Go ahead then, what was so important that you had to disturb my ‘sleep’?”

“It appears that Hydra has taken hold of the facility in an attempt to create a new base. At the moment, I'm still calculating all the data, but it appears they have been there for about a week.”

“A week,” Tony muttered. “You're losing your touch, Friday. Jarvis would have had this found out ages ago. In fact, he would have known before those scumbags even set foot on the property.”

“Sir, I have known about this for _two_ weeks. However, I did not think it important to inform you of Hydra’s movement until I knew exactly what they may have planned.”

Rolling his eyes behind his hands Tony asked his AI more about the situation. “Alright then, I’ll bite; what do they have planned?” He smirked into the darkness while he waited for a response.

“It appears that Hydra is working to rebuild after a significant blow to their ranks. My sources show that it has something to do with S.H.I.E.L.D., but with S.H.I.E.L.D. underground at the moment, I am still unsure about that fact. I will continue researching this and inform you of any progress I have made. Would you like me to forward the information to your tablet?”

“That's okay, Friday,” Tony sighed as he rolled onto his left side. “I can take a look at the information in the morning, or whenever I find myself awake at 3 a.m.”

“As you wish, sir.” It was quiet for a moment and Tony thought that maybe he might actually fall back asleep quickly this time, when the AI interrupted him once more. “Sir, one more thing, you may want to take a look at your tablet now.”

Tony wanted to punch something, but he knew that would accomplish nothing; instead, he ground his teeth together and answered his AI. “What is it?” He asked, “Because, frankly, I'm getting rather tired and maybe there's a chance that I can sleep for more than an hour at a time tonight.” He still didn't bother to reach for the tablet on the nightstand, holding out the hope he could take care of this situation in the morning.

“Steve Rogers has been spotted five miles from the facility. He is moving quickly and in the direction of the facility. We can assume that he has somehow heard about Hydra’s presence, and is moving in to take care of the situation himself.”

Forgetting sleep altogether, Tony sat up in bed, nearly knocking the tablet to the floor in his haste to get it in his hands. Swiping the screen to life, his eyes burned at the bright glare that illuminated the darkened room. “Alright, Friday, you've got my attention now. Why didn't you lead with that in the first place? You know I've been on the search for any information regarding Capsicle for the past couple of months. I think I'm going to have to recalibrate you.”

“If that is what you wish, sir.”

Tony scanned the information quickly, pulling up the video showing a figure dressed in dark clothing and holding a blackened shield as he ran through the forest of upper New York. The satellite images were grainy and unfocused, but there was no mistaking the figure for Captain America. But this man, this _legend_ , was not dressed as Captain America. No, he was dressed in a different outfit than what he was known for; and Tony suspected when he left his original shield behind at that Hydra facility in in Russia, Steve left behind being Captain America as well.

Tony was already thinking, the mechanics in his mind spinning as they formulated plans to get to Steve before the government could. He had regrets, deep ones, and that regret needed to be resolved. On top of that, he owed his friend an apology for being wrong, more wrong than he ever imagined. There was something else there too, hidden just beneath the surface. Tony wasn't quite sure what that was yet, but he figured he would find out what that hidden emotion was when he finally came face-to-face with Steve once more. So sliding out of the bed, he spoke to Friday, “Alright, Friday, let's see what shenanigans we can get up to this time.”


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven’t updated this in a while. I haven’t been feeling it, but when your beta demands you update, you update! Huge love and thanks to starrnobella, my marvelous beta. I can’t do this without you. I hope you all enjoy a little Cap action. Feedback is appreciated! xxDustNight

Steve reached the edge of the forest just past midnight, the darkness aiding in keeping him hidden from the Hydra guards stationed just outside the facility. From his vantage point, he could see little besides the entry which was flanked by two guards and one single lightbulb shining brightly above it. Sliding behind a tree, he shot off a text to T'Challa so the King knew he'd arrived. The tracking device in his phone, as well as his boot, would also make sure he was found if something went awry.

Steve straightened and peered around the tree to try and take stock of the situation as he tucked the device back inside his pocket. Two guards, one entry. Both appeared armed and dangerous, but there were no other guards in sight. There were also no windows in this part of the building, nor were there any vehicles nearby. Oddly enough, there were no cameras that could be seen either. He could easily infiltrate the place, but he suspected that door only opened from the inside.

Shifting his weight carefully so no twigs broke underfoot, Steve watched and waited, needing more information before taking out the guards. Fifteen minutes later, at exactly half past midnight, the light blinked once and caused both guards to glance at the door. This had to mean the door would be opening shortly, so without making a sound, he inched out from behind the tree and made his way towards the building. With the area wide open, he was essentially blowing his own cover, but there was nothing to be done about it at this point.

As he ran full out, Steve watched as both guards spotted him at the same time. Reaching behind his back, he unclipped his shield and strategically threw it. With a small smirk of satisfaction, the shield artfully knocked out the guard to the right before soaring back towards Steve. He caught it, dropping into a roll as the remaining guard opened fire, the bullets missing him by inches. Popping back to his feet he clipped the shield onto his back once more and punched the guard square in the face. The machine gun tumbled from his hands as his skull collided with the cement exterior of the building.

Exhaling, Steve watched the man slide, unconscious, to the ground before he turned and planted his back against the wall in the man's place. He didn't have to wait long before the sound of a lock sliding sounded and then the door was opening inward. Nothing happened for a few seconds, and then Steve whirled into the doorway, using the heel of his boot to kick the door in. Chaos ensued from that moment on as he fought the lone Hydra soldier.

Alarms began to sound, the ringing echoing in his ears as flashing red lights forced him to squint as he punched the guard in the jaw. He ripped the gun from his hands and tossed it aside, thankful when the thing cracked uselessly against the wall. The guard he was fighting landed a hit to his gut, but it didn't slow Steve down. He merely swung his leg up and kicked him in the head. Watching as he crumpled to the floor, Steve jumped over his groaning body and ran down the hall in search of the head of command.

Truthfully, he had no idea what awaited him here, T'Challa hadn't been unable to locate any further information than it was being used as a Hydra base of operations. As far as they were aware, very few Hydra operatives were still alive. Turning a corner, Steve wondered if they were trying to rebuild, recruiting and using this facility as a place to train new recruits. There were enough large rooms he noticed as he ran by, his black boots barely audible over the sirens. It was peculiar, though, that Hydra chose one of Howard Stark's former buildings. With the rumored nuclear weapons supposedly hidden somewhere inside, Steve proceeded with caution.

Reaching a dead end, Steve threw open the nearest door and found a set of stairs lined with lights leading downward. The alarms continued to blare even here, so Steve decided he might as well risk it and began the descent. It was becoming quite worrisome that he hadn't encountered anyone else since the third guard, but he carried on. Jumping the last five stairs, Steve quickly reassessed his situation, finding himself in the middle of what appeared to be a large torture chamber. Narrowing his blue eyes, he realized it wasn't quite a place for torture.

No, this room was similar to what he'd encountered at the Siberian Hydra Facility, or it was in the process of becoming that. A chill ran down his spine at the idea of more Super Soldiers being created and sent out into the world to do Hydra's bidding. Glancing back upstairs, Steve frowned. Where was everyone? Moving further into the room, he extracted his phone from his pocket to call T'Challa for backup. Something seemed wrong here. This place wouldn't have all these sirens and flashing lights but only three simple guards to protect whatever was going on.

Just before he hit the send button, the sirens and lights cut off entirely, sending him into darkness. Immediately on guard, Steve stashed away the phone and prepared to confront whatever waited in the darkness. He didn't have to wait long, the lights whirring back to life and causing him to blink as his eyes readjusted. There was still no one there among the machinery and empty freeze tanks, so swallowing, Steve turned around carefully.

That was when it happened, someone hit him right in the side of the head with a steel beam. He never even saw it coming, whoever it was managing to silently sneak up on him. The last thought Steve had before unconsciousness reigned, was that he should not have come here alone. Going into missions alone never ended well, he knew that now. With so few friends willing to fight with the risk of getting sent back to the Raft, Steve was alone. Darkness enveloped him, and for some odd reason, Tony's face flashed through his mind.

* * *

Steve woke slowly, his arms aching and wrists chaffing from being shackled above his head. His feet were barely touching the ground, the tips of his boots providing the only purchase he had on the damp ground. It was cold and drafty wherever he was being held prisoner, a chill rippling up his spine through the thin material of his suit. Glancing around in the semi-darkness, Steve tried to remain calm; after all, there was no reason to panic just yet. He'd managed to get out of worse situations than this. His phone was still hidden in his pocket, so that was good news. However, he could tell his shield had been removed, the heavy metal no longer a reassuring presence at his back.

Head aching, he tipped it carefully at the first sound of footsteps sounding just outside the room he was being held inside. He had no way to protect himself from whatever mad man or woman entered the room aside from his feet and words. His back was to the door, his body having rotated away from the entrance while he was unconscious. There was a click of the lock being released and then the door was opening. Heart pounding frantically in his chest, Steve carefully used the tips of his boots to nudge himself around to face forward.

His eyes blew wide and his heart sunk as he met the dark, gleaming eyes of a foe he'd thought gone forever. Swallowing thickly, Steve began to pull frantically at his shackles, needing to get free. There, in the doorway, stood Red Skull, a smirk stretching his crimson cheeks wide as he watched Steve struggle. Panic gripped Steve as he realized there was no getting out of this on his own. His only hope would be that T'Challa would realize something had gone wrong when he didn't check in like he was supposed to. And he prayed he didn't send Lang alone, especially having no idea what they would be up against.

Red Skull stepped more fully into the room, his arms crossing as he watched Steve scramble. "Well, it appears we meet again, Captain Rogers. It's funny how fate has brought you right into my hands. Here I thought I would have to seek you out." He chuckled darkly, the sound making every hair stand on the back of Steve's neck. "Now, tell me where you're keeping the Winter Soldier and I will let you off easily…or at least, I will allow you a quick death."

Steve glared at Red Skull, hating everything about the man. "I won't tell you anything."

Smirking, the crimson-faced menace stepped forward until he was mere breaths from Steve's hanging body. "We shall do this the hard way then," he growled before pulling his arm back and punching Steve in the face.

Steve felt his lip split, his teeth tearing the sensitive flesh as the fist collided with his face. This was certainly a worst case scenario as everyone thought Red Skull to be dead, taken away by the Tesseract. As Steve received blow after blow from Red Skull, his blood dripping down to join the muck on the floor, he prayed that this wouldn't end in the death of more people. He could handle dying himself, but he was sick and tired of others putting themselves at risk for the sake of him. Whatever happened, he wouldn't betray Bucky. He wouldn't speak another word if he could help it. Eventually, he would either be killed or he would succumb to his injuries. He hoped it was the latter. Either way, the situation was looking bleak.


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long time between updates. I haven't given up on this fic but it is not one of my top priority WiPs. Nevertheless, I shall continue to update when I can. Thank you for the feedback for the last chapter! Also, thank you to starrnobella for beta reading! Enjoy! xxDustNight
> 
> Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to Marvel. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. The cover photo is made from pictures I found on Google. The story title comes from the song, "Armor" by Landon Austin. I do not write for profit. Also, thank you to Freya Ishtar for help with the summary and starrnobella for beta-reading!

After scanning the area for life forms, Friday determined that there was only one living entity in the entire vicinity. Tony found this to be incredibly odd and worrisome. That either meant that the facility was now abandoned, even though satellite scans confirmed the presence of at least twenty Hydra members earlier in the day, or this was a giant fucking trap. Suspecting the latter, Tony landed on the roof and removed the facemask of his Iron Man suit.

"Alright, Friday," he muttered, "Let's do another scan and see if there are any wards I should be aware of before heading inside this booby-trap."

"I've already performed an initial scan, sir. It appears that all wards have been removed for the time being, but I detect that the equipment for such devices is still readily available for use."

"Basically you're saying I could go into this building and become trapped if whoever is hiding down there flips a switch," Tony said with a smirk, flipping his facemask back into place.

"That is correct," Friday answered.

"Bring it on," he told his AI system before powering up and flying down to the door. As he landed, he took in the lack of security and the obviously busted door frame. Whoever had been here earlier did some damage. He idly wondered what the living entity was, or rather who.

Was it Hydra's new head honcho or the person who broke the door? If that was the case, he wasn't sure he wanted to come face to face with either of them. Nevertheless, Tony stepped through the doorway and began following the damage towards the end of the hall. Inside his helmet, Friday continued to show him scans of the building so that nothing would pop up and surprise him. Technically, he was going rogue on this mission, not having received proper permission from the government to examine the facility using his suit tech.

In his defense, it was his father's old facility which  _basically_ meant it belonged to him now. No reason for him not to pop in and give it a quick once over. Who knew, maybe once he cleared out the trash, and whoever was hiding down below, he could fix it up as another off site Avengers base. The current one was in pretty good shape, and with Avengers tower being sold, they might need another place to crash from time to time.

"Sir, there is a staircase behind the door ahead of you," Friday interrupted his train of thought, bringing him back to the task at hand. "It leads to the sublevel where the life source is appearing on the scans."

"Fantastic. How are we doing?" He powered up his blasters just to be on the safe side before beginning to descend the stairs into the darkness below. "Anyway you can hack into their system and kickstart the lights?"

"I am unable to gain access to Hydra's remote system at this time, but I can activate your night vision." As she relayed this information, Tony's suit switched into night vision mode, allowing him to see the abandoned basement laboratory.

"Whatever works," he muttered, frowning as he examined the equipment left behind. It was reminiscent of the facility in Siberia where he'd last seen Steve. Swallowing roughly, Tony paused at the base of the staircase wondering what happened to Steve. Friday had showed him the footage of Capsicle on his way here, but that was the last she'd been able to find.

Continuing forward, Tony made his made way toward a hallway in the far back of the basement. Smirking to himself, he looked at the three doors that lined both sides of the narrow hall. Using the readout on his scans, Tony easily found the door that hid the life entity. Reaching forward, he flexed his hand as he momentarily hesitated. He wasn't sure whether he was ready to see what was on the other side. Friday informed him it was human, but one couldn't be so sure these days.

Shrugging off his concerns, Tony muttered, "What's behind door number twoooo," before grabbing hold of the handle and turning. Surprisingly, the door opened easily, clearly not having been locked by the person inside or whoever put them there. He was entirely unprepared for what he found on the other side, the reasoning for the unlocked door becoming blatantly clear in a single instant.

"Sir, my scans have identified that the living entity is none other than-"

"Steve Rogers," breathed Tony as he interrupted his AI. Stumbling forward on unsteady feet, he didn't hear a word Friday was blabbering about in his ear as he took in the beaten but unmistakable form of his former ally and friend. "What the hell happened to you, Cap…"

Steve was chained to the ceiling by his wrists so that his feet barely touched the floor. The skin around those wrists was torn, bruised, and bloody. Not unlike his face. Removing his face mask once more, Tony continued to examine Steve, his heart beating so loud that he was certain he was about to have a heart attack. The floor around Cap's feet was damp with water and probably blood. A flash of a time long ago made Tony wince and back away.

"Vitals," he told Friday, his voice unrecognizable to himself. "I need to know his vitals."

"Scans show that his vitals are holding but slowly deteriorating. He will need medical attention in the next hour to hour and a half if he has a chance of survival." Friday sounded grim, if that was possible, and it made Tony want to leap into action. Unfortunately, he didn't know where to begin.

Steve was a criminal, wanted dead or alive if the latest reports were to be believed. Originally, Tony had every intention of obtaining Steve and bringing him in for questioning at the Avengers facility. But now… Now, he had no idea what to do with him. Everything he had planned to say upon finding the vigilante had flown out the window the minute he laid eyes on his devastated form. If he hadn't arrived when he did, he'd have found a very dead Captain America...

"I think the saying is to take a picture, it will last longer," came a raspy voice followed by a coughing fit.

It brought Tony back to reality and suddenly he found himself staring into the pained, but still beautifully blue eyes of his former friend. Clearing his throat he said the only thing he could think of…

"Hey, Cap."

"Hey, Tony."

Hitting the release button inside his gauntlet, Tony allowed his suit to open so he could step out. He walked forward, his simple blue jeans and black ACDC t-shirt immaculate compared to the ruined black outerwear Steve was wearing. When he was face-to-face with the man, he cleared his throat and spread his palms wide.

"What were you thinking?"

"I think," Cap struggled to say as he coughed again, "the right question is, 'Who did this to me?' Don't you think?" Wincing as he lost his footing, Steve struggled to keep his wrists from further damage. He wasn't doing well, at all.

"Alright," Tony replied carefully, playing along. "Who did this to you then?" He wanted to know why Steve thought entering a Hydra facility on his own was a good idea more than who actually beat the living shit out of him, but he supposed that was going to have to wait. Brown eyes met blue as he waited for a response.

At long last, Steve managed to pull himself together. His breathing was ragged and it reminded Tony that Friday had said he would need medical attention within the hour in order to survive. His full interrogation would most likely have to wait, but he needed at least one answer before he rescued the damn fool.

"Red Skull," Steve gasped out before his eyes rolled back and his body became entirely slack.

Horrified at both Cap's answer and the fact that Friday was screaming at him about plunging vitals, imminent death, and timing, Tony ran back to his suit and allowed it to envelope him once more. He raced to power up his blasters, using them to break the chains from the ceiling. As Steve's body began to fall for the floor, Tony caught him in his arms before he could make contact.

"Friday-Tell me quick! What's the fastest way out of this shit hole," he demanded the AI to answer him. He was already racing from the room, his suit clanking as he ran for the stairs.

"Sir, the retaining wall in the corridor above has a weak point in the north section. You can blast your way through it." Before Tony could ask his next question, Friday was already filling him in with the information he needed. "There is also a hospital three miles south of the facility, Sir. According to my calculations you can get there with enough time to save Captain Rogers."

"Hang on, Capsicle," he muttered to Steve after thanking his AI. "You're not dying on my watch, and especially not until I have the answers I need." With that said, Tony blasted through the correct wall and jetted into the sky, streaking towards the hospital so he could save the man who had nearly beat him to death just months prior.


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The muses must really want to know how this story ends… Anyway, here is another chapter of this lovely tale, full of angst and unresolved issues. I do look forward to your feedback! Thank you as always for the feedback, and much love to my beta starrnobella who put up with my
> 
> Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to Marvel and the great Stan Lee. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit. The title is based on the song, Armor by Landon Austin. Any references to its lyrics are obviously not mine.

Consciousness is a funny thing. One second you're asleep, or passed out in Steve's case, and the next, you're not. Every bone, muscle, and  _eyelash_  ached on his body; and as Steve came back into consciousness, he was acutely aware of the amount of pain he'd been inflicted. Blinking, he opened his eyes to a semi-dark room that he didn't recognize, immediately signaling all sorts of alarms in his muddled mind.

However, as he tried to sit up in the bed where he was resting, he discovered a fatal flaw in this plan. He was handcuffed to the bedrails, and they appeared to be made of Vibranium as was his shield. His former shield, anyway. Deciding that struggling was fruitless, Steve settled back against the pillows and tried to discern his surroundings.

The room was simple, merely made up with his bed, a nightstand, and a small dresser against the back wall. Upon another glance, he noticed a folding chair set by the door which was cracked open. The room was lit by the light coming from the hallway, and Steve strained slightly to see out the miniscule crack. It was best to get a sense for his surroundings if he had any hope to escape his captor.

_Red Skull._

His blood ran cold as he remembered that the red faced villain was somehow alive and searching for the Tesseract once more. Closing his eyes with a groan, Steve recalled how Red Skull pummeled him to within an inch of his life for information regarding the artifact. No matter how many times he'd been punched, prodded, or abused, Steve never relented. He never gave up any information.

Now, he either was being healed so that the torture could begin anew, or he'd been rescued. Suspecting the former, Steve reluctantly opened his eyes and tried to think of a way to escape this place. In truth, he had no idea how long he'd been asleep, let alone where he was. He would simply have to get free and find a way out of here.

Perhaps, T'Challa was already searching for him, but then again, it wasn't unusual for him to go off the grid for a few days during a mission. He'd never had a chance to call for backup before Red Skull showed up, capturing him and chaining him in that dank, dark room. At this point, hope for a rescue was slim, but Steve refused to give up. That just wasn't his style.

Suddenly, there were footsteps out in the corridor and Steve immediately went on alert. Bracing himself for an attack of some sort, he waited with baited breath as the door was eased open and a familiar face was revealed. Only, it wasn't who he expected. Instead of the vile red skull of his enemy, he was greeted by none other than Iron Man himself.

Tony Stark stood in the doorway holding a tall glass of water and what appeared to be a sandwich on a plate. It was an odd picture, and it caused the breath to rush out of Steve's mouth in a harsh exhale. Continuing to stare at his former friend, it took him a minute to realize the man had spoken to him.

"Tony?"

"The one and only," Tony quipped, moving to set the glass and plate on the nightstand. "I was hoping you'd be awake by now. When Friday notified me you were awake, I figured you might need some sustenance. Being in a medically induced coma for three days will so that." He was rambling.

Ignoring Steve's confused look, Tony grabbed the chair by the door and dragged it closer to the bed before opening it and plopping himself down. Crossing one leg over the other, he leaned back slightly and gave Steve the once over. He seemed relieved and nervous, both feelings Steve could reciprocate at the moment. He'd much rather be in Tony's capable hands than Red Skulls, but there was still so much baggage between them.

"What am I doing here?" Steve questioned, earning himself an disgruntled snort in reply. He frowned even further, the split in his lip burning as he did so.

"You must have been more out of it than I thought," Tony replied, brushing a hand over his goatee. "Either that or the drugs I had Friday pump into you to save your life fucked with your brain rather than healing it."

Ignoring Tony's cursing, Steve met the man's brown eyes and tried to figure out what was happening. How had Tony found him? With a flash of searing pain through his fractured skull, the rescue came rushing back to him. Tony opening the door. Taking off his mask to reveal a face full of worry. Their idle chit chat before all went black.  _Tony_. It was  _Tony_ that rescued him from near death. Tony who now had him handcuffed like some sort of criminal.

With a wry smile, he realized that he was, in fact, a criminal, and that Tony probably planned on turning him in to the government to atone for his "crimes". Rattling the cuffs that bound him to the bed, he ignored the pain from his wrapped wrists as he again met Tony's stare.

"You rescued me from the chains that bound me only to make me  _your_ prisoner instead."

Flinching, Tony obviously had enough sense to feel some semblance of regret for the position they were currently in. "About that… I couldn't risk having you wake up and bust outta here before I had a chance to tie up a few loose ends."

"Like turning me over to the government," Steve deadpanned. It earned him an exasperated sigh and a roll of the eyes. "Come on, Tony, we both know you have to hand me over now that you've found me after all this time."

"Look, Cap… Turning you over to the feds-that's what I  _should_  do…"

"So why haven't you?"

His question was met with an uncomfortable silence, one in which Tony looked away from him to stare angrily at the plain white wall across the room. Steve waited for an answer, knowing he'd get one eventually. It might be a lie, for Tony was good at that, but at least he wouldn't have to wonder about his fate forever.

"I'm trying to do the right thing here," Tony said eventually, his head tipping back to reveal a pained expression.

"Because that ended up so well for you the last time."

"Give me a break!" Tony burst out, his pent up frustration and hurt releasing all in one go. He shot up from his chair and began to pace the small space at the foot of Steve's bed. "Last time… Before, it was all the right reasons but the wrong process. It didn't work, okay. I'm admitting it didn't work." Tony stopped, turning to face Steve as he ran fingers through his short, dark hair.

Steve watched him thoughtfully, wondering when the last time Tony Stark admitted he'd been wrong. Possibly never, at least that he could remember right now. Averting his gaze, Steve looked to where his wrists were cuffed to the bed. If Tony was trying to do the right thing, he sure had a backwards way of showing it. Rattling the cuff again, he lifted his head to face off with his former friend.

"Release me, Tony."

"Not until I know you won't run," Tony told him without a moment's hesitation. Steve had suspected an answer of that nature, so he merely sighed, the fight slipping out of him. Tony continued, "Or I know you're telling the truth."

"The  _truth_? Are you insane? I have to find Red Skull before he figures out I'm alive!" Feeling guilty for not explaining further, Steve wondered if maybe Tony would be willing to help him with this mission. Perhaps the two of them could find and defeat Red Skull before the vile monster could locate the Tesseract.

Shaking his head, Tony replied, "I want to believe you about Red Skull, but after everything we've been through, you can see why I'm having a hard time." Tony's words hurt even though Steve knew he was right. That didn't make it any easier to accept.

"Tony," Steve began but found it too difficult to continue. He had to cough to clear his throat as ridiculous emotions made it difficult to speak. After a moment, he was able to carry on. "Tony, I'm not lying to you. Not about this.  _Never_ about this." More like, never again. His lies had hurt not only each other, but their friends as well.

"You knew who killed my parents," Tony accused him, his voice heavy with emotion of his own. There was a shining to his eyes, as if he too were trying not to get too emotional. "You knew and yet you kept it to yourself."

"No, Tony. I knew  _how_  your parents died, not who killed them-"

"It's the same damn thing!" Tony shouted, getting angry once more. Backing away from the bed, he put some distance between them so there wouldn't be a Civil War part two. Steve was glad for the space, but he wished his former friend would understand.

"I didn't keep this information from you to hurt you, Tony," Steve tentatively began, his voice low and full of remorse. "I never told you what I'd learned because knowing it wouldn't change anything. When you found out it was Buck-the  _Winter Soldier_ -who killed them, I did too. It was news to  _both_ of us."

"Then why? Why would you withhold pertinent information regarding such a pivotal point in my life?" Tony sighed, hanging his head as if it was suddenly too heavy for him. When again he met Steve's eyes, he looked grim, as if he anticipated the worst.

Swallowing thickly, Steve contemplated his answer. It didn't matter what he said to Tony in this moment, the man was always going to feel a certain way when it came to this. It was if they were always going to be at war, no matter how many times they set aside their armor. He knew it was useless, but Steve had to try and make Tony understand that he and Bucky meant no harm.

"There was no point," he started to explain and immediately had to rush on before Tony interrupted him. "No matter how you found out, you were going to end up hurt. Even now, you still feel the pain of their loss. Knowing the who and why hasn't changed anything, it's only made you angrier." Taking in Tony's pinched face, he paused momentarily to both think of how best to go forward and to allow the other man to process what he'd said. "I want you to know, I am truly sorry for keeping this from you, and Bucky is sorry as well."

"He murdered my parents-"

"He was being controlled," Steve shouted back, wincing when his chest wounds pulled. Breathing heavily he added, "You saw what he's like when they turn on the programming. He almost shot you in the face and choked the life out of Nat. He has no control when he's like that and that's why he's gone into seclusion."

Tony's jaw was working, but he said nothing which boded well for them, Steve thought. For all intents and purposes, Steve hoped he was contemplating setting him free. Or at least releasing him from the handcuffs that were making his already damaged wrists that much worse. In essence, he was exhausted, his body having taken far more than it's usual limit. It explained why he'd blacked out and been forced into a medically induced coma though...

"That doesn't change anything between  _us_ ," Tony hissed finally, turning his back on Steve entirely. He had no idea what he was doing, cursing or crying, and he didn't blame the guy. The entire situation was so far from alright that he was surprised he wasn't losing it himself. Must be all the drugs Friday had pumping into his system. As he turned back around, Tony clenched his hand into a fist and tapped it on the bedrail. "Tell me where Bucky Barnes is hiding."

"I can't do that, Tony," Steve whispered, head falling back against the pillows. "All I can tell you is that he's not currently a harm to you, me, or the rest of the world." Hoping that was enough of an explanation, he waited with bated breath for Tony to reply.

"This was a mistake," Tony told him, backing away from the bed and shaking his head. "If you can't be honest with me then we have no business with one another." He was turning now, ready to leave the room for who knew how long.

"If you're going to turn me over to the government, can you at least make sure they know Red Skull is alive, and that he's looking for the Tesseract again. Do that for me, please?" The last part was whispered quietly, but Steve knew it was useless. Tony was already closing himself off, his brown eyes dead as his anger consumed him.

"Friday will continue to monitor your vitals so make sure to eat," Tony told him in a clipped tone as he jerked the door fully open. "Don't bother trying to escape, you'll be dead before you reach the main doors." With that, Tony disappeared, slamming the door behind him hard enough to rattle the frame.

"Tony!" Steve shouted as his retreating footsteps faded down the hall. "Tony! Ahhh!" Steve thrashed angrily on the bed, losing his cool facade. It hurt his already injured body, but he didn't give a damn. Even after all these months, Tony still didn't want to face the reality of the situation. Hell, maybe Steve was being stubborn too, but it was only to protect his oldest and dearest friend.

Tony may have been his friend, but he knew there was always an animosity there, stemming from Howard Stark himself. The man who made him who he was today. They both had a long ways to go on the path to forgiveness, but continuing to hurt one another was never going to solve their problems. Regret would eat them alive at this point.

Calming slightly, Steve had to laugh. How was he supposed to eat the sandwich and drink the water that was left behind for him with both wrists handcuffed to the bedrail? He was just about to forego the thought entirely and go back to sleep when he noticed a small, glinting key near his right hand. Furrowing his brow in confusing, Steve wriggled his hand, painfully, until he could grasp the little key.

It took a tad longer, but eventually, he was able to slip the key into the cuff around his right wrist, releasing its hold. As the metal clicked open, he sighed in sweet relief. Quickly, he made to do the same to the left, except there was no key hole. This cuff was made to keep him attached the the bed. Smirking slightly, Steve had to give it to Tony-he may be an ass hole, but he was an ass hole with a big heart.

Taking his half-freedom for what it was worth, Steve set the key on the nightstand and accepted the meal his friend provided. Looking up to where he expected there was probably a secret camera in place, Steve toasted Tony and then began to eat. Maybe there was still hope for the two of them to repair their friendship, after all.

At least, he hoped so.


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Having writer's block on my HP stories sucks, but that means more time spent working on this one! Took a bit longer to get this done than intended, but here you go. Thank you to those of you that left me feedback of any form on the last chapter. I'm glad to see you're enjoying this little tale. Special thanks to starrnobella for beta reading for
> 
> Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to Marvel and the great Stan Lee. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit. The title is based on the song, Armor by Landon Austin. Any references to its lyrics are obviously not mine.

It took a few days, but, eventually, Tony began to feel a tinge of Cabin Fever. The safe house, in some obscure northern town in New York where he and Steve were currently situated, held nothing but the bare basics. Tony had a handful of these safe houses set up around the U.S., and the world.

While they held very few extra amenities, the safe houses were wired with the newest and best technologies and safeguards to keep whoever was staying there safe from any outside danger. The only downfall, he'd never had the opportunity to tell his former team and friends about the houses. Everything had gone to hell, and now, who knew where those Steve broke out of the Raft ended up.

At least he knew where the leader currently was; and Steve Rogers was, at the present time, still handcuffed to a hospital bed, glowering at the wall across from where he lay. He'd been that way for the past two days, only really moving when he ate or rested. Tony felt guilty about it, but he continued to make sure Cap was asleep before entering the room each time. Having the video monitor made it easier, but at times, Tony felt like he was invading the other man's privacy, especially since Steve was such a private person to begin with.

Sighing, Tony sat back in the computer chair and scrubbed at his face with both hands. He was being childish, he knew, hiding away while keeping Steve chained to the bed. It couldn't be helped, though; his feelings were too messed up. He certainly needed the time apart after their initial conversation in order to gather his thoughts.

Looking back at the screen, he sighed yet again as he took in Cap's slumped shoulders and the sad, empty look in his normally bright, blue eyes. It was unsettling. When was the last time Cap appeared anything close to happy? Tony couldn't remember, and that made his heart hurt.

"Fuck," he muttered to no one in particular, wondering why the hell he even cared. The burning sensation in his chest grew to the point that it was more than uncomfortable. Rubbing a hand over where his arc reactor used to dwell, Tony ignored the inkling feeling there was more to his and Steve's relationship than meets the eyes. All that remained of the reactor now was scar tissue and memories that haunted him both day and night. With sudden clarity, Tony knew what he had to do.

"Friday?" he questioned, waiting patiently for his AI to reply.

"Sir?" she responded quickly, as if waiting for him to speak to begin with.

"Tell me about his vitals."

"Captain Rogers, while still not fully recovered, has shown significant improvement in the past twelve hours. His vitals hold steady, and aside from lingering bruises and cracked ribs, he is nearing eighty percent recovery."

"Good… That's...great," Tony muttered, distractedly. If the two of them continued on as they were, the fissure between them would become irreparable. Knowing he needed to turn things around, Tony gave the order he should have implemented on day one. "Friday? Release Cap from the handcuff, please."

"As you wish, sir," she replied.

His AI wasn't able to have human like emotions, so he either imagined or projected the sound of relief that laced her response. Swallowing thickly, Tony watched on the monitor as the cuff separated, triggered by the code he'd programmed into Friday's system. Immediately upon its release, Steve was on alert, his head swiveling this way and that as if trying to figure out what happened. In the end, his narrow-eyed gaze pointed towards the camera in the corner of the room.

There was a slight nod of his head, and then Cap was disentangling himself from the iv's and blankets. Tony swiveled around in his chair, wanting to give the man some privacy while he removed the various instruments he was connected with. Now that he'd released Cap from his restraint, he knew there was no more confining him to the bedroom on the first floor of the safe house. With a heavy sigh, Tony hoisted himself out of the computer chair and stood awkwardly in the study for a moment.

After some quick thinking on his part, he pulled the phone out of pocket and ordered a couple pizzas from the local pizza chain. Figuring he had about half an hour before it arrived, Tony exited the room and headed for the staircase. The upstairs held a restroom, one bedroom, and a small study which he'd converted into the tech room. He hadn't used the bedroom very much, often falling asleep in front of the computer monitor while watching Steve sleep.

Yeah, that didn't sound creepy as hell. Not one bit.

Shaking such thoughts from his head, Tony stopped at the foot of the stairs and listened. Upon hearing nothing, Tony headed in the direction of the room Steve was locked inside. Knowing the man heard his approach, the room not being soundproof, he stepped right up the the door and spoke loud enough so his words wouldn't be muffled.

"I'm about to open the door, Cap, so I advise you to step back and allow me inside without a fight. If not, Friday is fully prepared to lock down the room, sealing both of us inside," Tony explained, hoping he wouldn't have to institute that initiative.

There was no verbal response, but Tony did hear the shuffling of footsteps as his occupant probably moved away from the door. For some odd reason, Tony suddenly felt rather nervous. Heart beating erratically, he flexed his hand once, and then twice before opening the door slowly. Every nerve in his body was on alert as he entered the room and looked around. Steve was standing in the corner of the room, and he did not look happy.

"Cap," Tony greeted, his usually expressive voice sounding strained, even to his own ears. "It's good to see you up and moving."

"I could have been upright days ago had you not handcuffed me to the bedrail," Steve told him, sounding far more angry than he had the last they talked.

"Yes, well… It was for your best."

"My best, Tony? Since when do you care for my well-being?" Steve questioned, taking one single step toward Tony.

Tony kicked the door shut behind him in case he needed to activate the safeguard he'd warned about. Steve stopped after that step, apparently waiting for a reply before losing his cool. Tony shrugged, not exactly sure how to answer that question without sounding like a hypocrite. To be fair, he didn't really feel up for this fight again anyway.

"Look," he said raising his hand to stop Steve from saying anything further. "I promise to answer your questions, but after you've eaten and had some time to chillax outside this room, alright?" He quirked his head to side as he finished speaking, giving his friend the best sad, puppy-dog face he could manage in a circumstance such as this.

Steve opened his mouth to retort, but something must have changed his mind, because he closed it and crossed his arms instead. "Fine. Are there clothes I can change into? I don't really feel like prancing around the house with my bare bottom hanging out." He gestured at the hospital style gown he still wore.

"I made sure to stock the room with some appropriate attire." Smirking, Tony indicated the dresser along the wall, and then added, "I can't say I won't miss this look on you, though."

"Can it, Tony," Steve scoffed, but Tony could have swore there was a faint tinge of pink to his cheeks. "Does this mean you're allowing me outside this room?"

"Only if you agree not to break my rules."

"Which are?" Steve inquired as he took a tentative step towards the dresser.

Tony found it amusing that he made sure to keep his backside angled so there were no accidental wardrobe malfunctions. Although, Tony held back from pointing out that he'd been the one to strip him down and tend his wounds for the past week. Granted, he'd had some help at the hospital that first night before he'd discharged Steve against doctor's wishes and brought him here instead. A generous donation to a understaffed and poorly funded hospital could certainly do wonders for anonymity.

"Don't try and escape, stay out of the study, and for the love of god, try and relax a little," Tony told him, moving closer to the man. "You're safe. You survived the beat down of the century. Just take a few days to relax and recover and I swear I'll answer whatever questions you have. Kapeesh?"

Having found a pair of grey sweats and a white t-shirt, Steve turned and gave Tony an even stare. Tony merely raised an eyebrow in reply, resisting the urge to reach out and grab hold of his shoulder. They stared at each other for a quiet minute, both not wanting to back down but afraid to disrupt the current truce.

"Fine," Cap agreed finally, closing the top drawer of the dresser.

"Brilliant," Tony gushed, clapping his hands together. "I'll give you some privacy to change and go and wait for the pizza delivery guy. Maybe he'll be cute," he teased, giving Steve a ridiculous wink for reasons unknown. Not quite knowing why he'd said such a thing, Tony turned and opened the door before slipping outside.

As he made his way toward the kitchen, Tony scrubbed his hands through his hair in frustration. That exchange had gone much better than their previous encounter, but he still wasn't sold on the whole forgive and forget thing. Actually, he suspected Cap felt the same, especially since he didn't react to any of his quips or jokes. Not even that last one.

What had he meant by that anyway? It was long suspected that Cap may not be as into females as say Bucky Barnes was rumored to be back in the day, but the vote was still out on whether or not Steve's door swung one way or the other. A twinge of jealously rippled through Tony as he entered the kitchen, thoughts of how close Steve and Bucky always were jumping to the front of his mind. Mentally chastising himself, he angrily opened the refrigerator to take out two cans of soda before placing them on the table.

He huffed, glaring at the wooden tabletop as if it was judging him and his ridiculous thoughts. It's not like he had any claim over Steve, especially with the whole Sokovia Accords ordeal still heavy on their minds. Actually, since when did he even considering having a claim? He was supposed to be in love with Pepper, waiting for her to figure out he was worth the time and effort and come crawling back to him. Not that she would ever do that. She was too strong willed. If he wanted Pepper to be with him, he'd have to be the one crawling on hands and knees, begging forgiveness for all the wrongs he'd committed.

As it was now, Steve could hardly stand to be in the same room with him. As he came back into himself and grabbed paper plates from the cabinet, Tony had to admit it was difficult being around his former friend as well. He wanted it to be like old times-him joking about Steve's age and proper manners, while Steve glared at him and told him what an ass he was being. That was what he missed the most, the easiness between them that made their friendship one of the very best he'd ever known. And if he was truly honest with himself, Tony didn't have many friendships. Not true ones anyway.

Before he could ponder further on the matter, the doorbell rang and he made his way to the front of the safehouse. As he rounded the corner, he saw Steve making his way down the hall, limping slightly. He held up his hand, indicating that Steve should stay out of sight. The super soldier nodded in understanding and stopped where he was. Continuing on, Tony peered through the keyhole to make sure it was the delivery guy at the door.

Sure enough, it was, so Tony entered the unlocking code on the keypad and waited for it to beep. Once the door clicked open, Tony plastered a fake smile across his face and greeted the young man holding the two pizzas he'd ordered earlier.

"Hey there," he said cheerfully, rifling through his wallet for a fifty dollar bill. "What do I owe ya?"

"$24.83," the barely legal delivery boy replied in a bored voice. Shifting the pizzas, he waited for Tony to hand over the payment.

"Here," Tony told him, handing him the cash. "Keep the change."

"Thanks." Taking the money, the man then handed Tony the pizza boxes and turned to leave "Have a good one, man."

"You too." With the food taken care of, Tony shut the door, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as the locking mechanisms beeped and clicked back into place. Safety was truly a priority these days, especially as he didn't want anyone to know her was here. Or to find Steve.

With the two of them safely sealed inside the house once more, Tony went back to the kitchen and placed the boxes on the kitchen table. As he turned around, Steve entered the kitchen and stood awkwardly in the doorway. Clearing his throat, Tony indicated the empty chair across from the one he was currently sliding into. Taking the invitation, Steve limped over and sat down, wincing slightly as he did so.

"I'll get you more pain meds after we get some proper food in you." His comment was greeted with a single nod, and Tony suddenly wondered if they would ever get past this awkwardness. Deciding he wanted to do everything in his power to move forward, Tony opened the top box and grinned. "I ordered us each our favorite. Meat Lovers for me and Hawaiian with extra ham for you, Capsicle."

He turned the box around so Steve could see the pizza, thankful when the tiniest of smiles graced his lips. Taking that as a good sign, he passed the box over, allowing Steve to help himself. Waiting until the man added three slices to his plate, Tony then opened his own and served himself. Somehow knowing Steve was waiting for him to take the first bite, Tony grabbed a slice and took a large bite. As he chewed away, Steve followed suit, averting his eyes as if embarrassed. There was no reason for him to feel that way, but Tony knew what it was like to be held somewhere against your will.

"Everything taste alright," he prompted, popping open the tab of his soda with one hand. He took a long swig before continuing to eat, his eyes watching Steve cautiously.

"I want you to know I appreciate this, Tony," Steve began, indicating the meal. He used one of the napkins from the middle of the table to dab at his mouth before continuing on. "And for rescuing me from that basement. I'm not sure I deserve your kindness after everything that happened."

"Stop," Tony told him, setting aside his food. "Let's not talk about all that nonsense right now. We're staying here until you're healed enough to go after Red Skull, so let's just relax and enjoy each other's company."

"You sure you can manage that?"

"Are you saying that I can't behave?" Tony joked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. A smirk slid onto his face as they eased into banter, just like old times. It felt good, but he didn't want to admit that aloud and risk spoiling the moment.

"We both know that you can't so it's useless to lie," Cap teased, tucking into his pizza again. It seemed that a bit of the tension in his shoulders eased up a bit as he did so, and for that, Tony was glad. They ate quietly for a short while, both finishing what was on their plates and going for seconds. It was then that Steve lifted his gaze to Tony's once more before asking, "You're going to let me find and take down Red Skull then?"

"Of course I am. We have enough to worry about without adding that psycho to the list again," Tony explained. "If he's on the search for the Tesseract, then he needs to be stopped, and fast. There are bigger problems on the horizon that we can't allow him to get involved with."

"What are you talking about?" Steve set aside his pizza and grabbed for his soda, brow furrowed as he took a swig of the beverage. "I haven't heard anything much since being forced underground."

"You wouldn't have," Tony told him, his appetite sated for the time being. "It's all being kept hush hush by bigwigs and such, but there's a chance that the Thanos guy Loki mentioned back during the Invasion of New York might be a bigger threat than we originally suspected."

"What are you doing about it?"

"Nothing. Yet." With a sigh, Tony stood from the table and grabbed two more drinks from the refrigerator. "I've got my feelers out searching for information, but there's not much to go off of for the time being. For now, though, I'm more worried about keeping Red Skull away from one of the known Infinity Stones. The less monsters vying for those gems, the better."

"Is it safe on Asgard with Thor?" Steve looked troubled, but accepted the new can of soda from Tony when it was offered. It appeared he was no longer hungry either, the discussion of protecting the Earth more important than his health.

"No idea, but I hope so. No one's heard from Thor since Sokovia, but there's been a few sightings of Goldie Locks in New York." Tony was frowning, hating the uncertain feeling growing in his gut. "I just have to trust that Thor has things covered up on Asgard and that when the time arrives, he's ready to help keep this world safe from Thanos."

"What about me? Am I going to be allowed to fight side-by-side with you and the others when it comes time?" Steve's walls were still there, that much was evident in the strained way he asked Tony if he would be welcome back into the fold for a situation in the future.

Tony didn't quite know what to say. He wanted to say yes, but the truth was, he legally had no say so in the matter. Steve must've suspected as much because he sighed and sat back, crossing his arms across his broad chest as he did so. A sad smile slid onto Tony's face as he tried to formulate what to say to his former friend. He hated being the bearer of bad news, especially when people were feeling down.

"Steve, I-"

"It's fine, Tony. I get it." Steve cut him off, glancing away for the briefest second before returning his stare. "How long are you going to keep me here, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Until I know you're not going to be running off to your death," he told Steve, closing the pizza boxes and beginning to tidy the table. "What were you thinking running into that facility on your own? Did you really think you were going to take on an entire unit of Red Skull's minions, let alone the man himself?"

"I wasn't aware Red Skull was alive, let alone going to be in that facility," Steve defended himself, his eyes narrowing in anger as he twisted Tony's words. "It was just supposed to be a simple recon mission to get Hydra out of the facility."

"You weren't thinking, is what it sounds like to me. You could have been killed, Cap," Tony practically hissed at the man sitting across from him. "In fact, you would have  _died_ in that dank basement if I hadn't showed up when I did." He was breathing heavily, emotions getting the better of him, but he didn't care. Steve obviously had no inclination of how important he was not only to the people of this world, but to Tony as well.

"Someone knew where I was and they would have come looking-" Steve tried to justify his action, but Tony jumped on him immediately.

"And they would have found your dead body hanging from those rusty chains!" Pushing his chair away from the table, Tony jumped to his feet and angrily began putting away the leftover pizza, all the while continuing to chastise Steve. "You were on the brink of death, Steve! Your body was failing and all because you were stupid enough to go on a mission alone!"

"Excuse me," Steve interjected, struggling to stand as Tony turned to glare daggers in his direction. "I didn't see you reaching out to aid me in all the side missions I've been completing. You have the phone I sent you, and if you knew about me going to your father's old facility, you knew about those as well."

Slamming the refrigerator door closed so hard the condiments inside rattled, Tony lost his temper. "Of course I've known what you've been up to. We all have, but I've been keeping the government off your tail. If it wasn't for me, then your ass would have been brought in ages ago."

Brushing past Steve, Tony held in his anger as best he could. He needed to get away from the man before he said something he'd regret later. Tired, emotional, and angry was not a combination that he needed right now. He was just reaching the bottom of the stairs when he heard Cap exit the kitchen so he could speak to his retreating back.

"If you knew where I was, and what I was doing, then why didn't you ever call?"

The quiet way Steve spoke said more than than his actual words, and an ache began to form in Tony's chest again. His eyes slid closed as he gripped the railing, one foot on the bottom step in preparation to ascend. There was so much he wanted to say, but knew not how. It was a loaded question, and he suspected Steve knew that when he asked it. Nevertheless, Tony couldn't give him what he truly wanted; at least, not right now.

Instead, without turning around, he opened his eyes and muttered, "I didn't call because I didn't know how to say I was sorry." Then, ignoring the quiet intake of breath he heard from Cap, he jogged up the stairs and disappeared into his room. Locking the door behind him, he stood in the middle of the meager space and tried to figure out what just happened.

Why was it that for every step forward the two of them took in repairing their friendship, they always ended up taking at least three, maybe four backwards as well? At this point, maybe they were better off just severing ties entirely. Tony could set Steve free, allow him to go on his merry way into a death trap, and he could go back to the Avengers facility and wash his hands of all this. As he turned and looked his reflection in the eye on the dresser mirror, Tony wanted to do just that.

But it wasn't that easy.

Nothing was easy, especially when it came to Steve Rogers. When it came to him, there was something more there than meets the eye, and Tony had to find out exactly what that was. Even if it ended up killing him, or worse, breaking his fragile heart.


	7. Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm slowly coming out of my HP block, but I was still able to get another chapter of this story finished this week. I'm beyond thrilled to see how many of you are enjoying this tale. Your continued encouragement and feedback means more than you ever know. I hope this chapter is just as much an enjoyment for you, if not better. Things are starting to heat up! Special thanks to starrnobella for beta reading for
> 
> Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to Marvel and the great Stan Lee. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit. The title is based on the song, Armor by Landon Austin. Any references to its lyrics are obviously not mine.

As the door slammed on the floor above, Steve placed both hands on his head and inhaled deeply. Holding the breath in his lungs for a long moment so he wouldn't lose his temper, he stared angrily up the stairs, knowing his sprained ankle wouldn't allow him to run after Tony. Not that running after an angered Tony Stark was the best of ideas to begin with. Nevertheless, it's what he wanted to do. What he  _used_  to do, anyway.

This time, instead of trying to go and make amends with his former friend, Steve dropped his hands from his head as he exhaled in a rush. Shaking his head, Steve looked down the hallway to his room but decided to head toward the living room instead. Plopping ungracefully onto the couch, he winced as he brought up his injured ankle. He settled it on the armrest so that at least it would be levitated above his heart. He'd probably overexerted himself by standing on it for so long to begin with.

"Captain Rogers," came the mechanical voice of Tony's AI system. "I believe you would be far more comfortable in your bed. You will require another dosage of pain medication this evening in order to ensure your continued recovery."

"Thank you, Friday, but I've had quite enough of that bedroom for the time being." He smiled up at where he suspected the camera to be. Although he doubted Tony was watching at the moment, he decided to add, "And besides, I don't want to risk getting locked in my room again. It's made me feel like some sort of prisoner."

"Very well, Captain Rogers. I will notify Mr. Stark of your decision. If, at any time, you require medication, you should only ask."

"I appreciate that," he said, finally letting his eyes slide closed. As if sensing his sudden exhaustion, Friday lowered the lights to further ease him into a state of relaxation. Steve sighed with contentment this time, nestling into the couch as he prepared to sleep. When the house was dark and silent, he allowed his mind to wander.

Of all the people to find and rescue him from near death, it just had to be Tony friggin' Stark. It couldn't have been Lang or even T'Challa. Why Tony? Was he fated to forever be at odds with the man? That had to be it. They'd nearly killed each other less than a year ago, and yet; here they were now, living together in what appeared to be a safe house.

He knew he should feel relieved, or even grateful for what Tony was doing for him, but all he felt was anxiety. Red Skull was alive, somehow, and out there preparing to find his way to the Tesseract..and hoping to stumble upon the Winter Soldier along the way. Who knew how many innocent lives would be left in his wake as he attempted to depart this realm and travel to Asgard. Bucky was safe in Wakanda, so at least he didn't have to worry too much about him being found. Steve, however, needed to be out there right now, hunting down that lunatic and saving the world from a fate worse than death even.

As a shooting pain rippled through his ankle, Steve groaned and decided that his man hunt could wait, at least for the time being. Tonight he would allow himself to rest, free of the confines that restricted him for his stay here so far. With the object of Red Skull's attention safely tucked realms away, he could allow himself a few more days to recuperate. Tony had told him he'd be allowed to go after the demon faced menace, and he was definitely grateful for that.

He hadn't lied either, when he'd told Tony he appreciated what he'd done for him since he'd been found barely hanging on for his life in that basement. If it wasn't for Tony, he'd be dead right now and Red Skull would be sneaking around unnoticed. The two of them still had a lot of issues to work out, but he had no doubt in his mind that they could do it. At least, he hoped so.

After coming out of the ice, the one person he thought he would be able to relate to was Tony. They both had Howard Stark in common, and Peggy. Oh, and self resentment too. Unfortunately, sometimes it was easy to let the little things create cracks in friendships. The two of them let their difference in opinions warp their friendship to the point they were willing to hurt one another, and not just verbally.

Steve cringed in the darkness, remembering the look of pure terror reflected in Tony's brown eyes as he plunged his shield-a shield made by Tony's own father-into the arc reactor of his Iron Man suit. Was it necessary? Yes, but that didn't change the fact that he hated himself for causing his friend to think he was willing to kill him to protect Bucky. He'd do anything to protect Bucky, that was true… But Steve wasn't a killer, not really.

As regret bubbled up inside of him once again, Steve rubbed a hand down his weary face. It was getting late and he was still tired from his near death experience. Now was not the time to be getting worked up over self-loathing and incidents of the past that couldn't be changed. At this point, there was only moving forward. Tomorrow, Steve promised himself he would try and talk things through with Tony once and for all. They were better as a team, that much was certain.

His last thought before allowing sleep to take him was that maybe Friday was right. He probably should have made his way back to the bedroom and taken the offered pain medicine. He'd rest for an hour or so and then return to his quarters. It wouldn't hurt to sleep on the couch, especially since it smelled vaguely of the cologne he remembered Tony wearing once upon a time…

* * *

With a start, Steve was pulled from the dream he was having to find himself clutching the collar of Tony's t-shirt, his other hand pulled back as if ready to punch. He gasped, quickly releasing his hold as the remnants of his nightmare faded away to nothing. He was breathing heavily, his eyes wide and full of panic.

"Whoa!" Tony spoke firmly but softly in the darkness, his eyes raking over Steve's body as if looking for further injury. "It's just me, Cap. It's Tony. You're safe."

Steve swallowed, heart hammering wildly in his chest, but he did manage to relax, albeit slightly. "Tony," he choked out, throat dry from sleep and dehydration. "I'm sorry. I-I was dreaming."

"I've been there," Tony admitted before glancing away for a moment. When his gaze returned it was full of understanding and something else Steve couldn't quite put his finger on.

"I didn't mean to wake you if I was screaming," Steve apologized, relaxing into the comfort the sofa provided. "You didn't have to come all the way down here for me. I'll be alright."

"While I appreciate your concern, I didn't come down here to wake you from whatever haunts your dreams," Tony replied with a smirk, still looking a bit worried. "Friday woke me. Her readout indicates your fever has spiked."

Frowning, Steve suddenly realized that he did, in fact, feel feverish. His skin felt tight and he had a chill. Now that whatever dream had plagued him was gone from his mind, he was aware of just how awful and run down his body currently was. Yup. He totally should have gone with his gut instinct earlier and hauled his ass back to bed. Too late now, it seemed. Now he had a fever and felt worse than he had all day.

"Time to medicate, I suppose?" he asked, running a hand through his slightly overgrown hair.

"You got it," Tony told him, holding up a small plastic cup containing no less than four pills. "These will knock the fever down, make you feel like you're flying, and then turn the lights out for a few hours."

"You got anything to wash those things down with? That clear one looks like it was made for a horse," Steve teased, shaking his head as Tony pointed to the bottle of water sitting on the coffee table. "Okay, just let me sit up first."

As he struggled to sit upright, a wave of dizziness caught him by surprise. Immediately, Tony went into action, hurriedly setting aside the cup of medicine to reach out and steady Steve. His hand gripped his shoulder, helping to ease him into an upright position. At the same time, Steve carefully lowered his injured ankle to the floor, breathing heavily through the pain. He was an idiot for not taking his recovery more seriously, and now he was worse for wear.

Clearing his throat, Steve muttered a quick, "Thanks," before averting his eyes. He failed to point out to Tony that his hand lingered on his shoulder, a comforting presence as he struggled to regain his bearings. The warmth from Tony's palm helped to stave off the chills that were running down his spine currently, and he had to admit, he didn't dislike the comfort it provided. Tentatively, his lifted his fevered gaze to meet Tony's.

The man merely gave him a tight-lipped smile before replying, "No problem." He sounded just as embarrassed at having to help Steve sit up as he felt needing the support. Gently, he squeezed Steve's shoulder before removing the hand to reach for the medicine and bottle of water. "Here, let's get these in you before things take a turn for the worse. I don't want to be responsible for the death of Captain America."

The both of them winced at the comment, but neither verbally acknowledged it. Instead, Steve took what was offered and twisted off the bottle cap before popping the pills. He swallowed the meds with three gulps of the cool liquid before sinking back into the comfort of the sofa. He definitely didn't want to admit it, but he needed to get some proper sleep, and in a bed rather than this couch.

"You need to go to bed."

The words were spoken without judgement and without authority. Steve opened his eyes, which had slid shut of their own accord, to observe Tony. The man was perched on the edge of the coffee table, brows furrowed as he waited for a reply. A burst of gratitude swelled inside Steve and he smiled, sadly.

"I'd love to, Tony," he mumbled, his exhaustion making it difficult to stay awake. "Unfortunately, I have no desire to find myself locked in that room again. To be fair, I would rather not go back in there tonight at all. I'll take my chances here on the couch."

"Damn it, Steve," Tony scoffed, pushing to his feet to pace the small space between the sofa and the coffee table. "Why do you always have to be do stubborn?"

"I could say the same about you," he countered, holding back a grin as Tony stopped his pacing to glare down at him.

"Touche."

"I'm not going in there tonight, Tony. Just… Just let me sleep here. I'm a soldier; I've slept in far worse conditions than this. I'll be fine." He tried to reason with Tony, not wanting to argue or fight. He was too tired, the medicine already kicking in and making his aches and pains disappear and his mind foggy.

Tony sighed harshly, his eyes narrowed as examined Steve. It made Steve uncomfortable, being scrutinized so thoroughly. They'd always had such an easy relationship before, but now they had to take their time, think before they spoke, calculate their next words. It was beyond frustrating, and Steve understood that so he remained silent.

"Fine," Tony relented after a few minutes. "You don't have to go back to your room, but I have one condition."

"Why am I not surprised," Steve mumbled, readjusting himself on the couch so he could prop his ankle up on the coffee table. It put the injured extremity awfully close to Tony's thigh, but he didn't seem to mind. Steve took this as a good sign and merely shrugged. "What's the stipulation, then?"

"You use the upstairs bedroom."

"Tony, if my calculations are correct, there's only one other bedroom in this tiny house. That would mean you'd be out of a room." Steve knew he was already putting Tony in an uncomfortable situation, he didn't want to further complicate matters. "I can't do that to you. Besides, with this ankle, I can't make it up the stairs right now anyway."

"Pft!" Tony waved off his excuses and, for a moment, Steve felt like it was old times again. The two of them going back and forth before settling on some sort of agreement. "I can help you upstairs, old man. Let's go." Tony stood and offered his hand to Steve.

Wetting his lips, Steve considered the gesture briefly. He had the odd feeling that it meant more than he was led to believe. Nevertheless, he was quickly starting to feel the effects of the pain medication he'd just taken, so it was either pass out on the couch and feel horrible come morning, or take Tony's offer. He chose the latter, clapping his hand into Tony's outstretched one and allowing the man to hoist him upward.

He groaned and teetered precariously as he landed on his feet, his ankle threatening to give way. As if anticipating this, Tony threw his other arm around Steve's shoulders to steady him. It helped, and he nodded gratefully as he found his balance. Tony merely smiled, eyes crinkling ever so slightly as he shuffled out of the way so they could begin the trek upstairs.

When they hit the stairs, Steve decided it would be best to start the conversation back up, if only to distract himself from the immense pain he was about to feel. "So if I take your room, where are you going to sleep?"

"I won't," Tony told him, his arm securely around Steve's waist as he helped him up the stairs.

"Come on, Tony. You have to sleep too," he admonished Tony, surprised by the gentle way Tony was aiding him.

"I took a nap… I'll be fine. There's some research I need to to get done anyway."

"And if you decide you do want to sleep?" Steve's question caused them to pause with only a few steps left. Tony regarded him for a moment before lightly shaking his head for reasons unknown.

"I can crash in the tech room, or on the couch." They walked up the last of the steps and then turned to look downward. Letting out a low whistle, Tony added, "If your ankle doesn't feel any better by tomorrow, getting you back downstairs is going to be a bitch."

"You ain't kidding," Steve said with a chuckle. Slightly winded from the trip up the stairs, Steve appreciated that Tony had yet to release the grip he had on his waist. Breathing heavily, he waited for Tony to take the lead, not quite knowing which room was the bedroom he'd be spending the rest of the night in. He wasn't yet ready to admit he might be enjoying the warm feeling of protection that being held by Tony was spreading through his body.

That had to be the pain medicine talking. Definitely. There was nothing else it could be, especially with the two of them still coming to terms with whatever was left of their friendship. Hell, Steve had no idea if there was even a way to completely repair what they'd had before the Sokovia Accords had come into the picture.

"Earth to Cap?"

Tony's voice broke through his thoughts and he shook himself slightly. "Sorry, I must be more exhausted than I thought," he lied swiftly, slightly surprised when Tony held onto him a bit more tightly.

"Let's get you horizontal before you find yourself staring up at me from the floor," Tony muttered, leading the way down the hall.

"That's what she said," Steve quipped, surprised by his boldness as they meandered down the hallway. He wasn't one for such crass jokes, even when inebriated. His cheeks warmed with embarrassment and he hoped that Tony mistook the flush as a side effect from the fever he knew he was still running.

"Wow," Tony sputtered with a bark of laughter, pausing to give Steve an incredulous look. "How much medicine did I give you for you to start sprouting sexual innuendo jokes from  _this_ decade?" He was shaking his head, eyes dancing with a mirth that was infectious.

As they entered the bedroom which was just slightly larger than the one downstairs, Steve gave a half shrug, thankful to see the bed was unmade and ready for him to crawl into. "I've been trying to catch up with the times; Lang may have had something to do with that one. Did I use it correctly?"

"Leave it to Captain America to want to know if he was using the 'That's what she said' line correctly…" Trailing off, Tony released his hold on Steve so he'd be able to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Rogers."

"What?" Tony looked confused, his brow furrowed as he crossed his arms and waited for Steve to get into bed.

"It's just Captain Rogers now… I'm not the man I used to be." Finding it difficult to stay upright, Steve allowed himself to plop down onto the bed. Rolling onto his side he curled into himself, pulling the pillow under his head as he did so. "I'm not worthy of that title… It's like you said…"

"Fuck," he heard Tony mutter, running a hand through his hair. With a heavy sigh, Tony pulled the quilt atop Steve and then dropped to his knees beside the bed. "Look," he started, voice low and uncertain, "I was wrong to tell you that you didn't deserve the shield my father made for you."

"No… I let my friendship with Bucky cloud my mind and in the process, forgot about everyone else." Taking a shuddering breath, Steve further wrapped the blanket around his feverish form, already knowing he probably wouldn't remember much of this conversation come morning. "I should have looked at both sides of the situation…"

"Look Cap- _Steve_ … Let's not do this tonight," Tony said rationally, his eyes raking over Steve as if seeing him for the first time. "You sleep off this fever and we'll go back to fighting in the morning, alright?"

"'Kay…" he slurred, his eyes finally becoming too heavy to keep open any longer. As he began to slip into slumber once more, this time consumed by more emotion than he was comfortable dealing with, Steve wished that there was a way to go back and change the past.

It didn't help that Tony placed his hand on his shoulder and just squeezed gently for a long moment before finally letting go, standing, and exiting the room with a parting goodnight.

"Sleep well, Steve…"

"G'night, Tony…"

The lights were extinguished, the door shut, and then he was left alone to fall into pleasant dreams for once rather than nightmares. He pretended not to enjoy the spicy scent of Tony's cologne on the sheets, or the way he could still feel the warmth of Tony's hand on his shoulder. Maybe there was hope yet, but for now, Steve let the darkness take him.


	8. Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't planned on updating again so soon, but Tony was demanding to be written! I give my characters what they want… Well, mostly… haha! Anyway, I do appreciate all the feedback and love you leave, so I hope you enjoy this chapter too! Special thanks as always to starrnobella for beta reading for me. I appreciate you taking time out of your writing schedule to beta read for
> 
> Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to Marvel and the great Stan Lee. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit. The title is based on the song, Armor by Landon Austin. Any references to its lyrics are obviously not mine.

It was late morning before Tony realized he'd been sitting in exactly the same place, watching the computer monitor without barely moving a muscle. Steve had slept soundly throughout the night, and was, in fact, still fast asleep in Tony's bed. Tony only knew this because he'd refused to sleep himself, having decided that he would watch over the sleeping soldier without his knowing.

He knew it was an invasion of privacy, but Cap's vitals had taken a turn for the worse over night, his fever only getting worse before finally breaking just before dawn. Friday kept him informed of the details, ensuring that Tony knew exactly what was happening and when. There was no reason for his worrying, he knew, but that didn't stop him from fretting over such things.

Rubbing at his weary face, Tony knew that the pain medication he'd given Steve the night before would be wearing off soon, and he'd wake up completely unawares of what happened. Or so, that's what he assumed would happen. There really was no reason for Steve to remember what he'd said to Tony before finally falling asleep.

Hell, Tony wasn't even sure he'd heard him clearly. He'd had to come into the tech room and play back the video feed to make sure. He'd been right though, Steve really had admitted to being wrong about what happened between them. That video was watched over and over again until Friday interrupted with the news of a spike in the fever.

After that, Tony focused solely on making sure Steve didn't deteriorate further. Luckily, that hadn't happened, and now he was truly on the mend. The readouts indicated he was nearing ninety percent recovery which meant that they would be able to vacate the safe house within the next twenty-four to forty eight hours.

As relief flooded him anew, Tony finally relaxed and closed his eyes as he sat in the computer chair. Today would have to be the day they finally talked about the shit between them. There was no putting it off any longer, and he was sort of glad for that.  _I should have looked at both sides of the situation…_  Steve's words haunted him, ringing more true than anything he could have said himself.

They were both at fault there. The Sokovia Accords… They were a complete farse, doing far more harm than good. While Tony still didn't think they should be allowed to freely do as they pleased, endangering the lives of others, he could now see that it was idiotic to assume they could be properly regulated by a damn document. Steve's current predicament was enough indication of that. Well, that and the fact that Tony currently had maybe, one...two people that would still talk to him.

When he'd originally gone in on the Accords, he'd only been solely focused on redeeming himself in the eyes of a broken-hearted mother. He never thought about the repercussions of the actual implementation of the plans. He'd stupidly assumed that everyone would be on board, and that was where he'd fucked it all to hell. It hadn't mattered what his colleagues- _friends_ -had to say. Now he was alone...and wasn't that just a bitch?

As he continued his silent musings, there was a beep indicating proper movement within the bedroom. Glancing back to the monitor, Tony found Steve awake and sitting on the edge of the bed. Standing, Tony shook himself a bit to wake up, the lack of sleep making him feel groggy and entirely unprepared for the conversation to come. Nevertheless, Tony clicked off the monitor and exited the tech room to stop Cap before he did something stupid, like try and tackle the stairs on his own.

Sure enough, Steve met him at the top of the stairs, looking rested but still not entirely himself. He wasn't limping as much, but it was evident in the way he favored his left leg that he was still feeling the effects of his injuries. Pausing, the two men stared at each other for a solid minute before Tony cleared his throat and broke the silence.

"Morning there, Capsicle."

"Tony."

"I take it you're feeling more yourself this lovely morning? Feeling up to the trip downstairs, or do you want me to bring you something to eat up here?" Tony's heart gave a nervous thump as he waited for Steve to answer, but he ignored it, storing that information away to decipher after he'd had about three pots of coffee.

"I'd prefer to move around a bit more today, if that's alright," Steve answered as if choosing his words carefully. "I do feel much better now that I've had a full night's sleep without being tethered to the bedrail." There was a slight twinkle in his blue eyes, and that allowed Tony's uneasiness to loosen up a bit.

He nodded in reply, holding out his elbow as if waiting for a pretty girl to take hold for a dance. It was ridiculous, and he knew it, but he couldn't help playing into this charade. Having to aid Steve Rogers down the stairs was an uncomfortable feat in and of itself, so he found himself reverting to his normal defense mechanism of joking around to get him through the ordeal.

The pair of them made it to the bottom unscathed, and then Steve released his hold on Tony to follow him into the kitchen. Steve hobbled over to the refrigerator and began to look around inside. While he did that, Tony tried to figure out his thoughts as he made a pot of coffee. Once the coffee was percolating, Tony set about helping Steve prepare some breakfast. Well, it was more of a late brunch really.

Ten minutes later, they both sat at the table as they had the night before. This time they had plates of scrambled eggs and fruit, along with two steaming mugs of Tony's favorite caffeinated beverage. They ate quietly, neither really wanting to disturb the truce they currently had going on between them. After finishing his second mug of coffee, Tony was feeling more open to conversation, and so he decided to breach the topic of what happened the night before.

"So uh, Cap…" When Steve looked up, blue eyes bright with curiosity, Tony floundered for a second, unsure if he could voice what was on his mind. He decided to start with the simplest of questions in order to gauge whether or not there was even something larger to discuss. "How much of last night do you remember?"

As his face clouded, Steve set aside his fork and gave Tony his full attention. It was unnerving to have Steve Rogers looking at you as if he could see inside your soul. He'd once told him he didn't trust someone without a dark side. Well, they both knew he had one, and now he was slightly afraid that he might bring it out again.

"I'm fairly certain I remember all of it, Tony." As he said this, Steve tipped his head to the side, scrutinizing Tony even further. "Was there something in particular you were hoping I'd forget?"

The corner of Tony's mouth lifted in a quick smile, the only indication that he'd been hoping for a different sort of answer. "You were pretty out of it, so I thought you may have forgotten our agreement to hash out our issues today."

"No, I haven't," Steve told him, honestly. "Are you ready for this conversation?"

"Are  _you_?"

Steve laughed. "Nope, but there's no better time than the present. You  _are_ still allowing me leave when I'm fully healed, correct? We might as well get it over with before we go our separate ways again." Sighing, Steve crossed his arms and then shrugged one shoulder. It made his muscles bulge under the thin fabric of his white t-shirt.

Tony found himself thirsty all of a sudden and gulped down the rest of his third cup of coffee before he was able to continue. "As long as you're healed and I know you won't die on my account, I'll set you free." Having gathered himself back together, he also boldly asked the biggest question of all, "Did you really believe me when I told you that you didn't deserve the shield my father gave to you?"

"Starting with the heavy questions right off the bat then?" Steve gave a quiet snort of laughter before standing and moving to clean up their plates. Tony waited patiently for him to finish, knowing that he needed to formulate a proper answer. Steve turned to lean against the counter, his mind obviously made up with what he wanted to say. "When you and I fought each other in Siberia, we lost ourselves, Tony."

"I think we can both agree on that," Tony told him truthfully, leaning back in his chair as he traced his goatee with nervous fingers.

"Good… That will-that will make this easier." Steve remained where he was, the distance between the pair of them evident in not only the silence, but their stark memories of that day. "I still stand by my choice not to sign the Accords, but I think that we could have found a way to compromise, at the very least. You went behind all of our backs with this thing, Tony. What else did you expect to happen?"

"I expected my friends to have my back. I expected us to work together like we always had before, despite being entirely incompatible." Tony turned his gaze away, chest aching as old wounds reopened. Having his closest friends turn away from him hurt. It hurt a lot, more than he was ever willing to admit aloud.

"Nat told me once that staying together is more important than  _how_  we stay together. I didn't listen then, but I'm willing to listen now." Tony watched Steve push forward, coming to rest both palms flat on the table so he could meet his eyes. "What I'm trying to say, Tony, is that I want to do whatever I can to make amends, even if that means I have to turn myself in and sign the Accords."

" _Fuck_  the Accords!" Tony blurted out, jumping to his feet. Breathing heavily, he was unsurprised to find that Steve hadn't flinched or even backed away from him at his outburst. Not even a mutter of ' _Language_ ' to playfully scold him for cursing. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. "You are  _not_  turning yourself in! I've spent the past half a year doing everything in my power to ensure your continued safety. You just want to throw all of that away? For what? Red Skull?"

"It's not just Red Skull… I wasn't entirely honest with you the other day."

"What? More secrets?" Throwing his hands into the air, Tony put his back to Steve and closed his eyes. He hated this. He  _hated_ how they always had to hide things from one another. It was a never ending circle. He turned back around, his anger under control for the time being. "What are you keeping from me, Steve, because, damn it, I can't keep doing this with you."

"You're not going to like it," Steve admitted, the tiniest of smirks gracing his face.

"This is about Bucky, isn't it?"

When Steve hesitated, his gaze flickering away for a split second, Tony knew he was right. Fucking Bucky Barnes. Ever since finding out that he wasn't as dead as he was meant to be, all Steve cared about was that man. It was maddening, and Tony refused to acknowledge the feeling for what it really was.

Jealousy.

He had no reason to be jealous. He had Rhodey, after all. Hell, Steve even had Sam. But who did  _he_  have? Pepper, on a good day. Happy when he was at the company. That was it, and it hurt to realize that. Vision was good enough company, but he wasn't really a close friend. Especially not since he'd gone and locked up Wanda at the Raft. No, Vision hadn't approved of that one bit.

Love was a fickle little thing, wasn't it?

With a huff, Tony quirked his eyebrow. "Well? Am I right?"

"Yes, Red Skull not only is looking for the Tesseract, but he also asked me where to find the Winter Soldier." With a look of defeat, Steve visibly deflated. Tony knew it took a lot for him to open up about this, as it always did.

"I normally love it when I'm right, but not this time."

"That's a first."

"Can you blame me? Every time your old pal Bucky comes up in polite conversation, everything blows up in our faces. Literally." He knew he was being a bit harsh, but that's where they were at. It was time to face the facts or Bucky was going to forever be the rock to their glass house.

"I don't want to fight, Tony," Steve replied, sounding exhausted. "I just want to get past this."

"What does Red Skull want with the Winter Soldier," he asked, picking up his coffee mug and walking towards the kitchen counter. He grabbed the pot of coffee and refilled his mug, aware that, the entire time, he was being watched by Steve. He tried to ignore the way it made him feel unhinged.

"Nothing good, I imagine." Steve replied, straightening his back and observing as Tony sipped his coffee. "He didn't really give me much to go on between using me as his own personal punching bag and threatening to end my life. From what I could gather, he was hoping that Bucky might be able to procure the Tesseract for him."

"Does he know where the Tesseract is right now?" Tony gestured to Steve with his mug as he asked the question. If they could send word to Asgard, maybe Thor would be able to put extra protection on the Tesseract while they worked on finding Red Skull.

"No. I didn't cave. You know me better than that. Don't you?" There was an underlying hint of hurt in Steve's words, and as Tony met his gaze, he felt guilty for even insinuating that he might have given away information. Steve was right; he did know better than that.

"I'm sorry." The words were out of him before he'd even finished deciding whether or not to apologize. Steve seemed just as surprised as he was and took a tentative step towards Tony, his limp nearly nonexistent now. "I was out of line."

The kitchen was quiet, neither knowing where to go from there. Feeling awkward, Tony set aside his mug and just stared at Steve. He was sorry for more than what he'd just said. Hell, he was sorry for it all. It was a never ending circle in his mind. His heart ached and his chest hurt. He couldn't sleep. Found it hard to eat. He was a mess and it was all because the two of them were no longer getting along.

"It's alright, Tony," Steve said softly, taking another step forward. "Can I ask you a question? Something that's been playing heavily on my mind all these months?" He paused, not a foot away from Tony and waited for an answer.

"Might as well," he told him, barely breathing. He was oddly nervous, their proximity and conversation making him all the more distracted.

"Why didn't you ever call?" He paused to cough, clearing his throat. "I mean, why didn't you ever use the burner phone I sent you to let me know you were on my side?"

Of all the things that Tony could have imagined Steve asking, that certainly was at the very bottom of the list. And the best part? He didn't have an answer. Him! Tony Stark didn't have a proper answer for something. Not even a sarcastic comment he could throw off with a smirk on his face and a swagger as he walked away. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

All he could do was continue to stare into Steve's face as the seconds dragged on into minutes. He wanted to tell him that he was afraid that it would be tracked, or that he was afraid it was a trap of some sort, but those couldn't be further from the truth. The fact of it was, Tony was scared. He was scared that Steve wouldn't answer his call or that it would make him appear desperate. All of this was ridiculous, he knew. He was friggin' Tony Stark.

He knew how to make sure the call wouldn't be traced. He knew it wasn't a trap. He was a coward, plain and simple, for not reaching out to Steve. Knowing he couldn't continue to stand here saying nothing at all, he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly as he sloppily pieced together an excuse inside his head.

"You said if I ever needed you, I just had to call." Shrugging, he tried to play it off as super casual. "I didn't need you. Simple as that. Now, you on the other hand, should have called for  _me_."

Steve had flinched at his words, a darkness clouding his bright blue eyes at hearing Tony had no need of him. Tony's gut twisted, the implication of those words hitting him. It was too late to take them back, though; he could already see Steve backing away and shutting him out. If he didn't at least try to justify his words, this entire conversation would be over…

"Cap- _Steve_ -That's not what I meant," he tried, reaching out, but Steve brushed his hand away.

"I understood you perfectly, Tony. No need to apologize. Message received." Lips pursed, Steve backed up a few more paces before turning and exiting the room. "I'll be in my room if you decide that I'm more to you than just a prisoner."

And then he was gone, leaving Tony standing dumbfounded by his own idiocy in the middle of the kitchen. "Fuck," he muttered to himself before taking off after him. He found him halfway down the hall to his room and a burst of hope exploded with his chest when Steve slowed. "Hold up there, Old Man!" he called out, but Steve ignored him.

Frustrated now, Tony ran the last few steps to catch up with Steve and grabbed hold of his arm. Steve tried to shove him off again, but Tony held tight. Using his strength to his advantage, Steve still healing from his injuries, he shoved him back against the wall and closed the space between them so Steve was forced to look down into his face.

"Release me," Seve demanded, eyes narrowed, but he didn't resist any longer.

"Not until you listen to me."

They glared at each other, their old rivalry easily rising to the surface like an old friend. Tony's eyes raked over Steve's face, searching for a crack in his stern facade. He'd not meant to hurt his feelings, but he was always putting his damned foot in his mouth, wasn't he? When it appeared that Steve wasn't going to try and get away, Tony relaxed, albeit slightly.

"Fine. I'm listening," Steve told him between clenched teeth.

"I misspoke," Tony admitted begrudgingly. Swallowing thickly, he reached up and placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. It was warm, the gesture feeling right somehow. "It's not that I didn't need you, it's that I needed to assure your safety  _more_. If, at any time, an issue arose where you were truly needed, I would have called."

He felt some of the tension leave Steve, his body relaxing as he continued to keep hold of his shoulder. Steve blinked, slowly, coming to some sort of conclusion. Tony could only hope that he believed him and that this wasn't going to end in another fight between the two of them.

"Despite our best intentions, it seems like there's always another war to rage when it comes to the two of us," Steve said quietly. His words were careful, an underlying emotion detectable. With all seriousness, he lifted his gaze to meet Tony's.

"I'll do what it takes to make this right," Tony muttered, "You know I'm willing to fix anything I can get my hands on." He wasn't even telling a half truth, and he knew the instant Steve realized this as well.

Tentatively, Steve's hand lifted until it hovered over Tony's shoulder. With questioning eyes, the former Captain America asked an unspoken question to which Tony merely nodded. In the next instant, that hand was resting on Tony's shoulder and squeezing in comfortable familiarity. They were both grinning now, looking like a bunch of morons.

In true fashion, Tony had to laugh and then they were embracing, hugging it out in true "bromance" fashion. It felt right. It felt new. It woke something inside of Tony he wasn't ready to acknowledge and as they separated, he had the sneaking suspicion Steve had felt it too. Gazing up into Steve's blue eyes, Tony felt the his heartbeat speed up and his mouth go dry.

Briefly, Steve's eyes flickered to Tony's lips, and that's when Tony knew… He knew there was more to this relationship than meets the eye. Now was not the time for revelations such as this, but then again, it never was. Wasn't that a bitch? Wetting his lips with the tip of his tongue, Tony waited for a sign that this might be something Steve wanted as well. He wouldn't do anything foolish to risk this, wanting to keep their renewed friendship at the very least.

When Steve didn't pull back or turn away from his intense stare, Tony decide to just go for it. Hell, if it fucked up whatever friendship had just rekindled between them, it wouldn't be the end of the world. They'd just go their separate ways once and for all. Cautiously, Tony slid his hand upward until he'd cupped the back of his neck. The air between them grew heavy with tension, and Tony took a deep breath before starting to close the space between them.

And that's when the doorbell rang, shattering the moment entirely, as well as their safety. Whatever had been about to happen was quickly forgotten, Steve collapsing against the wall as Tony stepped out of his personal space to turn towards to living room. They both stared down the hall, the silence deafening.

"Who would be visiting?"

"No idea," Tony replied, anxiety bubbling just under the surface as he tried to father his thoughts. "But whoever it is, this can't be a good sign. Stay here."

Steve merely nodded, fists clenching which Tony found oddly reassuring. No one knew where they were, let alone that Steve was here. He hoped that whoever was at the door was simply at the wrong place and wouldn't pose a threat to them. Before disappearing into the living room, he threw one last look over his should to find Steve exactly where he left him. The fates certainly had a way of keeping the two of them from ever making any headway on their personal issues.

After everything they'd been through, this was just one more obstacle for them to overcome. Pushing thoughts of Steve and what might have just been about to happen from the forefront of his mind, Tony exhaled and opened the door.


	9. Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'd planned on this story only being ten chapters. After last chapter, I had my doubts I could get it done in so little. However, after starting this one, I know I only have one chapter left to write after this one. This lovely little story is coming to a close. I think you'll be happy with this chapter, and very happy with the next one too.
> 
> I do want to point out that I probably won't get to write chapter ten until December as I am participating in NaNoWriMo and that begins in two days. My writing schedule will be very strict and won't allow for much writing outside my main story. Thanks again for all the wonderful feedback! Special thanks as always to starrnobella for beta reading for me. I appreciate you taking the time to beta read for
> 
> Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to Marvel and the great Stan Lee. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit. The title is based on the song, Armor by Landon Austin. Any references to its lyrics are obviously not mine.

Continuing to stand silently in the hallway, Steve waited patiently to see who was at the door. He waited with bated breath, afraid to reveal himself in any way. Tony had gone through a lot of trouble to keep his presence a secret so a careless mistake, like accidentally revealing himself to a lost passerby, would be foolish, to say the least. With people like the government and Red Skull searching for your head, you definitely didn't want to be found. Hands clenched into fists, Steve listened as hard as he could as Tony finally reached the living room, all thoughts of what almost transpired between them moments ago forgotten for the time being.

The door could be heard opening and then Tony saying, "I didn't order any pizza today." After that there was a crashing as the door was obviously thrown open, followed by a strangled cry as the pizza delivery boy was used to force someone's way into the safe house. "YOU!" Steve heard Tony exclaim. "How did you find me?"

Laughter echoed down the hall then, causing Steve's blood to run cold. He knew that laugh. It was Red Skull. Somehow the devil had managed to find Tony, and in essence, him as well. Carefully, Steve sidestepped toward the stairs, fully prepared to head upstairs where he knew Tony probably was keeping his shield and an Iron Man suit. They were going to have to fight their way out of this one, and the element of surprise would be best. So far, Tony hadn't yet mentioned Steve, making it seem as if he was the only one here.

"Where is Steve Rogers?" Red Skull demanded just as Steve's foot hit the bottom of the staircase. He paused, wanting to hear the rest of the exchange, even though he knew it would cost him precious time.

"Haven't seen him since Siberia. For all I know he froze to death," Tony lied swiftly.

"I know you rescued him from my facility. I tied him up and left him to die; only, when I returned for his dead body, he was nowhere to be found." Red Skull's voice lowered here, a villainous venom seeping into every word. "Now, tell me where you've hidden him away."

"Look, Sun Tan, I've come here to escape the public for a while.  _Alone_. Why would I bother bringing Cap here and risk spoiling my peace and relaxation? Besides, haven't you heard? Me and Cap? No longer friends. We can't stand one another, practically started a war fighting amongst ourselves."

Steve smiled ruefully to himself as he began to ascend the staircase, thankful that the house was somewhat new and lacked creaky floorboards. He knew he shouldn't feel affected by Tony's words, meant only to throw Red Skull off the scent, but his heart ached nevertheless. In a way, Tony was right, or he would have been if he hadn't swooped in and saved him just in the nick of time. Somehow, Tony being the one to find him made sense now.

It appeared the fates wanted them reconcile their differences and put the past behind them. And the moment before? That was a long time coming. There was no denying the tension he and Tony always had, but now it seemed clear as day exactly what kind of tension that was. Halfway up the stairs, Steve was still listening hard as his friend obviously tried to bide him some time with idle chit chat. He needed to hurry; Red Skull was a force to be reckoned with and he didn't want Tony down there on his own.

"Look, Stark," Red Skull's voice slithered up the stairs, "I am done playing games. Video surveillance does not lie. I know you took Captain Rogers. Give him to me or I will take him over your dead body."

"Huh," Tony replied, obviously pretending to think on the matter. It was a life or death situation, and Steve worried he'd give him up, despite knowing that somehow, deep down, Tony cared for him… His next words, caused him to falter. "I guess I'll have to take…door number...two!"

And that's when the chaos erupted. There was a crashing sound and a thunk as a lamp was thrown. The crash sent Steve running. He dashed up the rest of the stairs, ignoring his injured ankle and headed right into the tech room. On the computer monitor, he could see the pizza delivery boy unconscious on the floor while Tony and Red Skull went at it with hand to hand combat. Finding the briefcase Steve knew had to contain Tony's most recent suit, Steve also grabbed his shield from against the wall and headed back downstairs.

Upon entering the living room, he threw the shield at Red Skull, effectively hitting him in the side and allowing Tony to get back. "Tony!" he called, tossing the briefcase over before running for Red Skull, who was quickly recovering from the surprise blow.

"Thanks, Cap!" Tony called as he activated the briefcase and his red and gold Iron Man suit began to take form over his body.

As much as Steve wanted to watch in fascination, he returned his attention to the matter at hand. Red Skull came at him, pulling a knife from a holster at his thigh. Knives he could handle no problem, it was the gun that also present which caused him worry. He'd handle that issue when the time came. Red Skull tried to go low, aiming for his stomach, but Steve saw it coming. He quickly backed out of the way, throwing a kick at Red Skull's wrist in an attempt to dislodge the knife.

"I am surprised you are able to stand, let alone fight, after what I put you through at my facility," Red Skull threw at him him as they continued their fight.

"I went into the ice to stop you once and I'll keep on coming back until I know this world is safe from Hydra scum like you," Steve said through clenched teeth as he grabbed for Red Skull's wrist and twisted it away from his neck just in time. The knife grazed his skin, but only just.

That seemed to kick Tony into gear, his helmet clicking shut. Steve watched out of the corner of his eye as Tony flew toward them and sent a blast right into Red Skull's arm. The knife clattered to the floor and Steve kicked it under the sofa so it would be out of play. Red Skull stepped back, now facing two opponents instead of one. Steve held steady as Tony stood next to him, the two of them eyeing up Red Skull as he prepared his next move.

"I really wish you'd stop calling it  _your_  facility, Sun Tan," Tony's mechanical voice came through the Iron Man suit. "That old dump belonged to my darling father which makes it  _mine_ by default. I don't like when people touch things that are mine."

Steve chuckled, but his laughter was cut short when Red Skull unclipped his gun and removed the safety. The villain pointed the gun first at Iron Man and then at Steve, probably realizing that a simple gun wouldn't penetrate through Tony's thick armour. Steve swallowed thickly, knowing that he was not at his best. He was just recovering from the worst beating he'd taken since going hand to hand with Tony in Siberia, his body still trying to heal. Hoisting his shield, he gave Red Skull his best 'ready' face and then charged forward.

The gun went off but Steve ducked and rolled out of the way. Iron Man soared forward at the same time, both of them reaching Red Skull one after the other. Tony went high and Steve went low, effectively jarring him enough to lose control of the gun. Tony used his suit's strength to ruin the weapon before dropping it to the floor. That was when Red Skull launched himself forward, grabbing Steve around the middle and tackling him to the floor.

Steve landed hard on his back, his already fragile head hitting the hard surface with a crack. Trying to get his feet between him and the body pinning him down, Steve struggled to get free. Red Skull's horrific face grinned frighteningly down into his. Gloved hands began punching him in the face, the jaw, the chest, and anywhere else he could reach. In the chaos of it all, Steve knew he was losing this fight alone. He could feel his mouth filling with blood and saliva and his vision getting spotty. He tried to speak, but no words would come out.

Suddenly, Red Skull's weight was lifted from his body and he was soaring across the room. Steve breathed in deeply, his lungs finally able to get a full breath. He turned onto his side quickly, spitting out the blood from his mouth. Jumping to his feet, he turned back to the fight to find Iron Man holding his own. Blow after blow was being given to Red Skull, who was hunched against the far wall. He was trying to fight back, but Iron Man held him firmly to the wall with one gauntlet. Stumbling forward, Steve knew he had to stop this fight before someone was killed.

"Tony," he tried, coughing slightly. When his friend didn't reply, he grabbed hold of his shoulder, shaking him slightly to break him out of whatever rage-filled trance he was experiencing. When Tony finally relented, Steve added, "That's enough. It's over."

"He was going to kill you," Tony's mechanical voice said. Steve couldn't be certain, but he thought he could detect a hint of concern there.

"Yes, but you prevented him from doing so. He's out cold. Let the authorities take it from here, yeah?" Steve held his breath as he waited for Tony to make a decision. Finally, Tony released his hold on Red Skull, causing the brute to slump unconscious to the floor.

"Well, that was rather anticlimactic," Tony muttered, glancing first at Red Skull's unconscious form and then meeting Steve's gaze. "I thought that was going to be more difficult."

"Two against one, Tony, and the good guys always win…" He reached out and placed his hand back on Tony's iron covered shoulder, a sad smile playing on his lips. "You should know that by now."

"Nevertheless, this is going to be one hell of a story to explain." He sighed as Steve removed his hand and then took a step toward the unconscious delivery boy. "Don't wake him."

"I have to make sure he's all right, Tony. He could be seriously injured," Steve protested, but he did pause on his way across the room.

"Nah, let me do it. You go get cleaned up and hide. Maybe take some pain meds too. I'm sure that ankle will be acting up again shortly. Your face is a right mess too." Tony traced his goatee with his thumb and forefinger as he thought this through. "SHIELD, or whoever, will be here shortly wanting to deal with this disaster and the less they know the better."

"You're not expecting me to turn myself in?" Steve gave him a look of confusion, wondering where exactly he was going with all of this.

"Hell no!" Tony exclaimed, taking a step toward him. "Are you nuts? Did Sun Tan here jar your brain more than I thought? If you do that, you'll end up someplace worse than the Raft at this point."

Not really knowing what else to say, Steve stepped away from the delivery boy and moved in front of Tony. He stared down into his brown eyes and felt his heart start to race. "You're willing to risk incarceration yourself just to keep me safe?"

"Come on, Cap, you know I would. I just let an ugly ass demon nearly kick my ass just to ensure your continued safety." Tony's normal sass was there, but so was something else. Something Steve had missed so many times before. But not this time. This time he was going to properly thank Tony for his help.

Grabbing behind his neck, still protected by the suit, Steve tugged Tony's face close to his before stealing his lips in a searing kiss. Tony didn't fight him, and that's when he knew this was all right. Tony wanted him just as much as he did. He traced the short man's lips with his tongue until they parted to let him inside, his facial hair enjoyably scratchy against his own unshaven face.

Tony moaned into the kiss as Steve's tongue slid against his, tasting him for the first but hopefully not the last time. The kiss could have gone on forever, but they knew they had limited time right now. Drawing backward slowly, Steve separated from Tony reluctantly and watched as brown eyes fluttered open, pupils blown wide with desire. He was sure his were too, but there would be time for that later.

"Thank you," he murmured. "Not just anyone would do this for me."

"I'm not just anyone," Tony teased, the corners off his eyes crinkling with mirth.

Steve laughed, letting Tony go so he could disappear down the hall. "Where is the best place to seek refuge in this place?" He inquired stopping to pick up his discarded shield and then looking at Tony for guidance.

"You're not going to like it, but that room I had you in. It seals from the outside to look like a regular wall. No one will know you're in there unless they view the cameras upstairs." Tony explained, his face still slightly flushed from their kiss.

"You know they're going to want the footage," Steve began but Tony interrupted him.

"The camera for that room is password protected and only I know the password." he smirked causing Steve to chuckle.

"You think of everything," he muttered, shaking his head.

"I know. Now,  _go_ ," Tony urged and then moved to check on the delivery boy.

Steve watched him just a second more before turning and disappearing down the hall. He sealed the door behind him and then placed his back to it. Sighing, he couldn't help the ridiculous grin that formed on his bruised lips. He'd just kissed Tony Stark… He'd just  _kissed_ Tony Stark and planned to do so again as soon as possible. Laughing at the audacity of it all, Steve decided he'd better get moving and cleaned up if he planned on being well enough to enjoy Tony's company later that evening when they were once again alone.


	10. Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! The big finale. I just want to take a minute and thank every single person who left feedback in any form. This was my first full-length Marvel fic and I am so astounded at the response it got. I hope that you enjoy the ending too! I feel so sad with this being the last chapter, but I plan on writing more of this pairing in the future. I'm not sure if there will be any more to this story, at least until after Infinity War. Time will tell what happens to these two… Anyway, thank you for being on this journey with me. Love you!
> 
> Special thanks to starrnobella for beta reading for me this entire time and for not killing me for cliff hangers and the like. I appreciate you always being there for me. Much love, xxDustNight
> 
> Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to Marvel and the great Stan Lee. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit. The title is based on the song, Armor by Landon Austin. Any references to its lyrics are obviously not mine.

With Red Skull and the government sheep taken care of, for the time being, Tony was now free to go back about his business as usual. There was more paperwork to be filled out once he closed up the safe house and returned to the Avengers facility, but he'd talked the officials into allowing that to wait until the morning. Standing in front of the seemingly blank wall outside Steve's safe room, Tony knew he had a difficult decision to make. He had two options as he saw it. One, he could walk away, leave the safe house, and then release the door when he was far enough away that Steve wouldn't be able to follow his trail. Or, two, he could go inside the room and deal with what had happened earlier.

His gut was telling him to go with option number one, urging him to run away and allow Steve to be free of his angst and drama. Unfortunately, Tony was being driven by his heart, and that was telling him to open the damn door and find out what else there was between the two of them. The kiss from earlier had been indication enough, but Tony needed more data. Or rather, he wanted to know if there were more kisses to be had. Shaking his head, he lifted his wrist and tapped the screen of his watch.

The wall clicked open, the door now revealed to him. On the other side, Steve waited, and Tony couldn't stand another minute of this torment. Without knocking, he turned the handle and let himself into the room. Shutting the door behind him, he glanced around the seemingly empty room, confusion clouding his face. "Steve?" he called out, unsure where his friend was hiding.

The adjoining bathroom door opened then, revealing Steve in nothing but a pair of blue jeans. He was toweling his hair dry, his blue eyes seeking out Tony in the small room. "Tony," he greeted with a smile. "Everything taken care of? What did they do to Red Skull?" He tossed the towel aside, waiting for an answer.

Swallowing, Tony tried to keep his eyes from wandering to the muscles of Steve's chest. He took a deep breath and gave his most dazzling smile. "Everything is cleared up. Red Skull is in the deep freeze and the incident is being swept under the rug, as per usual."

Steve's face fell. "They put Red Skull back into the freeze?"

"Yeah, they felt it was the best option considering it might be too risky sending him to the Raft." Here, Tony paused and smirked. "Besides, he kept blabbering on about a certain foe of his that seemingly appeared to kick his ass."

"Me? He told them I was here." Steve sighed heavily, running a hand through his still damp hair. "Jesus, Tony, how did you explain that? Are they on their way for me now?"

"Give me some credit, Cap." He ignored the hint of hurt that flickered through his heart at Steve's lack of faith in him. "I promised to keep you safe and I followed through. I told the feds that it was just me here, that I wanted time alone and that Red Skull must have hit his head harder than he thought."

"So I'm... _safe_?" Steve took a hesitant step forward, hope reflected in his blue eyes.

"Well, as safe as we can be in the world we live in, yes," Tony assured him, smiling. "Helps that the delivery boy had no memory of you being here and the security footage shows no evidence of your presence either."

Letting out a low whistle, Steve shook his head as a grin took form on his lips. "You're something else, do you know that?"

Tony was the one to take a step forward this time, leaving them only feet apart. His heart was starting to beat faster in anticipation knowing they were slowly running out of things to say before the conversation returned to what happened earlier… "I'm one of a kind." He flashed a toothy smile at the soldier, earning him a roll of the eyes.

"What about the delivery boy? Is he okay? He took quite a hit." Steve asked crossing his arms.

Tony wasn't surprised by his concern for the teenager, but he'd hoped they'd be done talking by now. Clearing his throat, he said, "He's fine. Probably telling the story of his life to the nurse at the hospital."

"Good. That's...good," Steve trailed off, clearly lost in thought. Tony wet his lips, waiting for him to say something more. He wasn't disappointed. After briefly looking to the side, Steve returned his gaze to Tony's and took a deliberate step forward. "And what about you, Tony? How are you feeling?"

"Me?" Tony was surprised by the question, but he didn't miss the way Steve's vice lowered or the way his eyes flickered to his lips for the briefest of seconds. "I'm fine. Right as rain. I'm the one who should be asking about you."

"I'm fine, Tony. I've taken harder beatings than what Red Skull dished out this afternoon." Steve laughed, the sound warm and friendly. It made Tony's heart leap and suddenly he found himself taking that final step so that there was no longer any space left between the two of them.

"Glad to hear it," he replied, scratching at the back of his head. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he just didn't know how. Instead, he went with the typical goodbye. "So I guess, if you're feeling up to it, you can be on your way. There's a secret tunnel out of here that will let you out a few streets over. I'm stuck here until morning-promised the feds I'd clean up and close up before reporting back to the facility."

"You want me to go?" Steve frowned, sadness flickering through his eyes.

"Well, I wasn't sure what your plans were," Tony said, still avoiding the elephant in the room. "I'm sure you have to get back to your secret lair." He tried to smirk, but it fell a bit flat.

"Tony," Steve started, the sound of his voice broken. "Are you going to pretend nothing happened earlier?"

Sighing, Tony ran a hand through his hair. "Damn it, Cap. I don't know. I thought it would be easier this way," he admitted, feeling like his heart was breaking. "You go your way and I go mine, just like we always do." Tony took a step backward, away from Steve and his penetrating stare.

"You're good at pushing people away, you know that?" Steve asked, moving with Tony so that the short man was forced to move backward again. "You're afraid of getting hurt."

"Can you blame me?" Tony asked as his back hit the dresser, effectively letting him know he was cornered. With nowhere left to run, it appeared it was time to face the music, or in this case, their feelings. "You lied to me."

"You broke apart the Avengers for your own selfish reasons," Steve countered, obviously not willing to drop the conversation.

"Not this again…" Tony sighed harshly, rolling his eyes. "Every single time I think this conversation is over, we end up right back at the beginning."

"It's not going to go away, Tony. We have to face it, we were both wrong." Reaching out, Steve took hold of Tony's shoulders and simply held him. "I'm willing to do whatever I have to in order to make things right between us. If that means surrendering, then so be it. If I don't, then we're both going to lose this fight and be on opposite sides forever."

There was something to Steve's words that rang true, truer than anything Tony had ever thought in regards to their current situation. If they weren't willing to let go of the past, then there would never be a future for them, as friends or...something more. Staring up into Steve's eyes, he felt something inside of his break. It was the wall he'd built up around his heart, and it came crashing down so hard it left him near breathless.

"You're willing to give up your freedom for me?" Tony asked, hating that he sounded a bit breathless.

Smiling, Steve increased the pressure on Tony's shoulders. "I'd do anything for you, Tony."

Unable to come up with anything else to say, Tony did the only rational thing he could think of. Grabbing hold of the back of Steve's neck, he pulled him down for a kiss, surrendering to whatever this was. Steve opened his mouth, willingly, allowing Tony to slide his tongue inside for a taste. The hands on his shoulders were holding him now with bruising force, reminding him that he was very much alive. They kissed fiercely, tongues fighting for dominance and teeth nipping at lips. It was with much regret that Tony pulled away so he could unbutton his shirt.

Steve helped him with the task, the two of them breathing heavily as they continued to stare at one another. When the shirt was discarded, Steve took hold of Tony under the arms and hoisted him onto the surface of the dresser before recapturing his lips. As Steve settled between his open thighs, Tony moaned into his mouth, the feel of their arousals pressing against one another through the fabric of their pants more than he could bear.

Wrenching his head backward, Tony stared at Steve a second before asking, "Are we really doing this?" He was rewarded when Steve rolled his hips into his again, and then leaned forward to kiss the shell of his ear.

"Enough talking, Tony," he murmured before trailing his lips down his throat, placing wet, hot kisses as he went.

" _Fuck_ ," Tony cried out, his cock twitching in anticipation. He needed more skin, more of  _Steve's_ skin, and so he reached down and unfastened his jeans. He slid one hand around and pushed them downward, revealing Steve's naked ass to him. Bracing himself with his other arm, he rocked his hips upward as he held tight to that firm behind.

Now, Steve was the one panting wantonly, his breath like that of the inside a sauna in the crook of his neck. They ground against one another for a few moments, both relishing in the simple fact of turning one another on even further. When Tony was nearly at his breaking point, Steve paused and kissed him on the lips.

Pressing his sweat dampened forehead against Tony's, he said, "Bed. Now. I want to be inside of you and I don't want to wait any longer."

"Yes, sir," Tony teased with a salute, but secretly he enjoyed the way Steve was taking control.

Rolling his eyes, Steve helped him down from the dresser and then divested him of his black pants. Steve's jeans had already fallen down his legs, so he simply kicked them off before gently pushing Tony toward the bed. Tony crawled onto the surface, fully prepared to have Steve take him from behind, but he was once again left surprised.

"No," Steve ordered, grabbing his forearm to stop him. When Tony gave him a questioning look, he slid his hand down until he could intertwine their fingers. "Lay on your back. I want to see your face."

Tony had to swallow back an intense amount of emotions at that lest he fall to pieces. Nodding, once, he shuffled back on the bed and spread his legs for his lover. Steve climbed between him and kissed him again, the feel of his cock heavy on his thigh. Reaching out, he fumbled with the bedside drawer. Steve lifted his head to give him a look. "Lube. I should have some in here… Medicinal purposes."

"Sure," Steve replied with a hint of sarcasm, reaching out to help Tony find it. When Tony found it, it was handed to Steve, who opened the tube and put a generous amount into his palm. Again he took Tony's hand, sharing the lubricant with him. "I want you to touch me."

"I thought you'd never ask," Tony muttered, untangling their fingers and taking Steve's cock in his hand. The soldier's eyes closed and his head tipped backward as Tony began to slowly stroke him, coating his cock in preparation. "You feel amazing. I can't wait to have you inside of me."

"Yes," hissed Steve, finally breaking from the spell. He leaned forward, bracing himself on his knees as his slick fingers found Tony's entrance. It may have been a while since Tony had been with a man, but he was used to pleasing himself in this way. Steve had no issue sliding one and then two fingers inside of him, slowly stretching him for his cock.

Before too long, Tony was having a hard time concentrating on keeping a steady pace on Steve with those fingers inside of him, pressing on his prostate and making him a shuddering mess of limbs. Tony's cock was already dripping, and he worried he'd lose it before Steve was even inside of him. With as much willpower as possible, he used his free hand to still Steve, his silent plea evident in his brown eyes.

With a kiss, Steve removed his fingers and then placed the tip of his cock at Tony's entrance. Using both hands to further spread his legs, Steve gently thrust into Tony. They both groaned, Steve lost to the feel of Tony's tight hole and Tony to the feeling of fullness Steve provided. When he was fully sheathed inside of him, Steve opened his eyes and then he began to move.

He made love to Tony slowly at first, knowing that they both wanted this to last. Tony's hands gripped the bedspread, his knuckles white as he grunted each time Steve pulled out and thrust back in. Angling his hips upward, he ensured that Steve hit the perfect spot over and over again. The soldier, true to his word, never stopped watching Tony. His blue eyes showed determination and something else that made Tony's heartbeat quicken and his stomach do flips.

_Damn_. Somewhere along the line, Tony had fallen in love and he suspected Steve had too. Too overcome with emotion and desire, Tony reached up and tugged Steve down for a kiss. He put as much passion as he could into the kiss, knowing now was not the time for verbal declarations. When he released him, he saw that Steve's blue eyes had slightly misted over and if that wasn't enough to get his own waterworks flowing, he didn't know what else was.

Ever the soldier, Steve apparently held himself together, quickening his pace and wrapping Tony's cock in his slick hand. He stroked him in time with his hips, letting his thumb brush over the tip every third time or so. "I want to watch you come apart." He tightened his grip and pounded into him with everything he had, and that was all it took.

"Steve! God, yesssss," Tony cried out, his hips arching off the bed with so much force as he came all over Steve's hand and chest. Steve helped him to ride out the pleasure, never stopping his hand until Tony had finished. Tony, knowing that Steve was close himself, gripped the man's hips and set him with an intense stare. "Give me everything you have. I want it all."

Smiling, Steve nodded and then braced his hands on either side of Tony's head. He pounded into him relentlessly, his gasps of pleasure only growing as Tony gyrated his hips to help stimulate his cock. It worked like a charm, sending Steve careening into orgasm so violently that his entire body trembled. "Tony," he gasped into the crook of his neck, his hips jerking almost of their own accord. It felt like Steve's orgasm lasted a lifetime, filling Tony completely and causing him to collapse atop his body.

Rolling them over, Tony allowed Steve to slip from his body as he wrapped him in an embrace. Placing kisses along his chest and then his jaw, Tony waited for Steve to catch his breath before speaking. Even then, he had nothing to joke about, simply words of endearment he never thought he'd speak to the man that almost killed him. "Just so you know, I'd give up everything for you too."

Steve didn't say anything in return, simply kissing Tony tenderly as he cupped his cheek. They stayed like that for quite some time, kissing and exploring one another's bodies until they were ready to make love again. Neither voiced what they truly felt for the other knowing that, come morning, they had a difficult decision to make. For now, at least, they had each other and that was enough.

* * *

 

The next morning came no matter how hard Steve and Tony tried to keep it at bay. Together, they stood showered and dressed in clean clothes by the front door. Tony was fidgeting with the security box on the wall and Steve was using the elbow of his sweatshirt to wipe his shield. Both had no idea what to say but as Tony finished setting the house into standby mode, he figured he might as well be the one to break the silence.

"So," he said, rocking back on his feet as Steve strapped his shield to his back. "I guess this is our crossroads." Steve frowned at him, but it was the truth. They had a decision to make, and it needed to be made quickly.

"You want me to come back with you," Steve stated simply, his fingers twitching as if he wanted to reach out and hold Tony's hand. Now was not the time, and so he refrained.

"I wouldn't say no if you said you were," Tony relied with a smirk. "Let's put it that way."

"We both know that's not an option for me right now." Steve sighed and this time, he did take Tony's hand. "I'm not going to bother trying to talk you into coming with me, Tony. You're needed out in the open."

"What now?" Tony's heart was breaking, his lungs struggling to intake oxygen. He met Steve's gaze and appreciated the gentle squeeze his hand received.

"We go our separate ways until it's the right time for us to come together again." If Steve's voice sounded a bit choked up, he said nothing to point it out. Tony merely stepped closer and placed a hand on Steve's chest. Covering the hand with his own, Steve asked, "You still got that phone I sent you?"

"In my pocket," Tony replied, the corner of his lip tilting up in a sly smirk.

"Good. Use it to call me whenever you want… Not just if you need me for a mission." Steve leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips.

Tony wanted nothing more than to fall back into bed, but they both had places to be, appearances to keep up. When the kiss ended, Tony sighed. "Steve, I-"

"I know, Tony. Me too, me too."

This was really it then; the end for now, as it were. Opening the door, Steve let Steve step outside first before shutting it behind them. "You can call me too. I'll answer, I swear."

Laughing, Steve shook his head. "You won't put me on hold?"

Pretending to think about it, Tony waited until Steve raised both eyebrows before replying. "Okay, okay. No, I won't put you on hold." Running a hand through his hair, he realized just how much the both of them were giving up right now. The chance at happiness, at love, but it needed to be done. After one war is won, there's always the next one, and they needed to be prepared for when that time came.

"Until we meet again, Tony," Steve whispered against his lips, allowing them one last kiss before backing away.

"Stay out of trouble," Tony warned teasingly as Steve started to walk down the driveway.

"I should be saying that to you," Steve pointed out, pulling on a hat and shielding his face from view. He waved then, picking up a light jog as he moved further and further way.

"Probably," Tony muttered, knowing Steve couldn't hear him, but he said it nonetheless.

As Tony watched Steve disappear into the new day, he knew in his heart that they would find their way back to one another. The past was behind them and their future was wide open. Locking up the safehouse, Tony smiled and slipped both hands into his pockets where one hand curled around the cell phone Steve had sent him ages ago. Chuckling to himself, he couldn't help but smile. They may not be together right now, but they would eventually. Fate was always bringing them back to each other one way or another.

He had just started walking toward the street where he had a car parked, when the phone in his pocket went off. Smirking as his heart skipped a ridiculous beat, he withdrew the device. Flipping open the ancient phone, he held it to his ear and said, "Miss me already, Capsicle?"

Oh yeah, they were going to be fine.

End.


End file.
